Smoke in the Air
by PrincessOfSilence
Summary: Gloria's was filled with people who lived different lives at night, and I was one of them. I knew it was dangerous to be here but I loved the way it made everything more exhilarating. I didn't know just how dangerous my life had become. Klaus/OC
1. The Great Adventure of Robyn and Emily

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

_I don't remember a single moment in my life where my older sister hasn't been by my side. She was there when I scraped my knees against the stone steps of the Town Hall building, she helped me learn to read when I was small, and she and I even stole cookies from the jar mother kept just out of reach on the counter together. I remember an old, faded picture of her holding me in her small arms, with some help from father of course, when I was a newborn baby; it always makes me smile._

_She was my rock, and as we got older and I understood life more and more, I was there for her just as she had always been there for me; I never thought that I had a debt to repay for all the things she did, I just loved her too much not to. I stood by her side as one of her bridesmaids when she got married, let her cry on my shoulder when she found out she could never have children, and I cried my eyes out on the day she died._

_Emily had said it herself many times throughout our lives that she was and would always be my best friend, so it stands to reason that she was there during the biggest event of my life. It was an adventure…_our _adventure. I never could've anticipated that those few short months would redefine my life for all of eternity…_

**1920**

"…and then she kept screaming to stop ripping the curtains," Emily laughed uncontrollably as she drove. "I swear that I've never seen old Mrs. Peterson that mad at Perry before." I looked out the window at the beautiful spring scenery as Emily's Ford Model T sped along seemingly endless road.

"So Robby?" Emily asked, using her nickname for me. "Are you excited?"

"We've been to the city before, Em," I reminded her. "Remember?"

"You know what I mean," she laughed. "First time living away from home, first real grown-up job." Emily reached up to wipe a fake tear from her cheek. "My baby sister's a big girl now."

"Must you exaggerate," I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"Don't even start, Robyn. You know you love it." The truth was, though, that my excitement was growing for every mile closer we got to our destination; I knew my sister was just as excited, if not more so, than I was.

"Just promise you won't forget about me if you and Greg are invited to a party," I said. "Otherwise I'll be all alone at the apartment, bored out of my mind." Immediately Emily grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I would never forget about you, Robby. You're my sister; my best friend. We're partners in crime." She sighed and glanced quickly to the backseat of the car, which held our bags and a small pile of Montgomery Ward catalogues. "I might be getting married next summer, but I'm never going to let anything hurt you; I will always be here, and don't you ever forget that."

"It was a joke, Em," I informed her, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Oh," she blushed, embarrassed. I scooted over in my seat and placed my head on her shoulder, like I usually did when I was tired and couldn't find a pillow around.

"Love you, Emily."

"I know," she laughed, tilting so her cheek touched the top of my head. "I love you too, kid." The car started to swerve unexpectedly, and we both jumped back to our original placed, Emily's eyes glued to the road and both of her hands on the steering wheel so we wouldn't die.

"You're a terrible driver," I teased.

"Hey, I taught you how to drive, remember?" A smile lit up her face when she noticed the tall buildings of the city get closer and closer. "This is it," Emily exclaimed. "The Costello Sisters and their Great Chicago Adventure."

**A/N: This idea has been brewing in my head for weeks, but I never got the time to write…until today when I was waiting for my bus after school. It has nothing to do with "I Wish It Was You"—my other TVD fic—or its prequel, so if you've read that, don't expect to see Miranda or anything in this.**

**I would like some feedback—should I keep writing this?—so if you want to leave a review, I would really appreciate it. Love it, hate it? What do you think of Robyn? What do you think of her sister, Emily? Questions, comments, concerns? Let me know.**

** Added incentive: anyone who leaves a review will get a special sneak peek of the next chapter (unless you have PMs turned off, then I'm sorry but I can't do much for you…unless you want a hug). Until next time…**


	2. An Unexpected Offer

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Emily's POV**

"I know you miss her...I know you miss me too." I looked over at my sister from across the living room, rolling my eyes when I saw that she had a hand held over her mouth to keep from laughing. There was one reason that I was glad to be so far away from our mother: she was too overprotective of us. When I moved out of our little suburban town a year ago, she made sure to call every day to see how I was, and I was almost positive that she would do the same now that Robyn had moved in with me.

I knew that she wouldn't have let Robby find a place of her own, and when my old roommate got sick of her _own_ mother's bickering and got a one-way train ticket to New York so she could have some peace and quiet, I quickly told mother that she could move in with me. I had spent the entire night in the dining room with her, arguing that Robyn needed her own space; an hour before the sun rose the next morning, mother had relented on the terms that I wouldn't let Robyn get into any trouble. (What kind of trouble could Robby get into, anyways?)

"Has Robyn been sleeping well?" my mother asked over the phone.

"I wouldn't know," I informed her. "You'd have to ask her." The smile was immediately gone from my sister's face and she frantically waved her hands.

"I would love that," Mother chimed happily. I put the receiver down on the table and walked towards my sister.

"She wants to talk to you," I said. Robyn let out an exasperated sigh, pushed her brown hair out of her eyes and reluctantly got up to talk to our mother. I laughed and walked into the kitchen, where my fiancé—Greg—was opening a bottle of wine.

"She's 21," he chuckled. "Do you think that your mother will ever stop treating her like a baby?"

"I don't know," I told him, leaning my head on his shoulder—well his arm really, since he was so much taller than I was. "You're the youngest in your family. Does your mother ever stop pinching your cheeks and baby-talking to you?" Greg smirked and looked down at me.

"What am I going to do with you?"

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

_"Your sister?"_

It was an exclamation I had grown accustomed to hearing since I moved in with Emily almost a week ago. My sister had been slowly introducing me to the other tenants in the building, who, to my surprise, acted as if they were one big happy family. They had been shocked when she told them that I was her younger sister, especially Mrs. Peterson.

I walked out of the apartment, in a rush of excitement to leave so I could get to the library in time for my first day. I pushed my key into the lock and turned it, making sure the door was secure. I turned around and jumped when I found a small elderly woman standing behind me with a smile on her face.

"Hello dear," she said.

"Uh, hello," I replied.

"I'm Eileen Peterson," she continued. "You must be Emily's new roommate. That crazy girl Perry's replacement." I could see the malice in the woman's eyes when she mentioned Perry, and instantly remembered the stories Em told me about the endless feud between Perry and Mrs. Peterson.

"Uh, yes," I nodded. "I-I'm Robyn, Emily's sister."

"My lord," she smiled. "I would never have guessed; you two don't look anything alike."

"Trust me, I definitely get that a lot."

It was true, though; Emily and I didn't share much resemblance to each other. My sister was had wavy ginger hair, clear blue eyes and sharp, angular features; I, on the other hand, had pin-straight brown hair, hazel eyes and a heart-shaped face with soft features. The two things we shared were our alert round eyes, and incredibly petite statures.

"I'm sure you're just as sweet as she is, though," Mrs. Peterson said with a smile. "As a matter of fact, I think you and I will be good neighbors…so long as you don't touch my mail…not like that _menace_ Perry."

"Actually, I thought she was—" I was cut off by the dark look she shot me. "—a menace, too. Ooh…bad, bad Perry."

* * *

><p>Silence. As much as I loved it being among so many pages—so much knowledge—having to sit here for six hours in complete silence was tedious. Occasionally, someone would come to my desk and ask where to find a certain book, or there would be a loud, echoing <em>bang<em> when a visitor dropped something on the floor. I spent whatever free time I could exploring the rows of books and shelves, skimming over title and plucking out a few that interested me.

My friends back home had made fun of me when I said I inquired about a job at the University Library. _Oh, Robyn, you should just get married to your books._ The jokes on them; knowing the decimal classification by heart got me this job, and they were probably still sitting at their home, bored to death with their mothers talking their ears off. I was independent, I was…self-sufficient, I was…I was…

"Completely devoid of any adventure whatsoever," I said quietly, sighing at my obvious lack of excitement. I rubbed my eyes with my hands and sighed; maybe the silence was getting to me.

"You look sad," a loud voice startled me. I looked up and found a young, dark-skinned woman staring at me with a small smile.

"Me?" I asked.

"There's no one else here," she replied with a quick gesture around. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," I shrugged. "I'm just…bored, I guess."

"It _is_ a little quiet around here, isn't it?" she laughed. I nodded in agreement and then remembered where we were.

"Do you need any help finding anything?" I asked. The woman nodded and placed a small piece of paper on the edge of my desk.

"I need to find a book," she said. "My professor thought I could find it here." I picked the paper up and looked over the words scribbled down on it; the name wasn't familiar…but it _was_ my job to find it. I had a knack, I figured out almost as soon as I started, for finding books that were so obscure that it was almost as if they were hiding in the shelves on purpose.

"I'll see if I can work my magic," I smiled, and after a few seconds, the woman smiled back. I got up and led her through the library, occasionally asking some of the other librarians if they recognized the title of one of the books or where they might be located. Eventually, I had to take her to the card catalog so I could find where this book was hiding.

"So, what kind of class is this for?" I asked as I looked through some of the cards.

"Botany," she replied.

"Really?" I asked in surprise, wondering how someone could be interested in studying plants; when I asked the woman why she had chosen that class, she laughed.

"I've always been interested in the healing properties of herbs and flowers."

"Shouldn't you be studying medicine then?" I asked as I finally found the right card.

"You're very observant," she replied. "How did you end up working here?"

"Well, I don't know, really," I explained. I found the book quickly and led her to the circulation desk so I could check the book out."They needed a librarian, and here I am."

"I wouldn't consider you a librarian. You must be younger than I am." I knelt down and pulled a few sign-out cards from one of the desk drawers as well as a pen. "Do you like it here?"

"I haven't been here long enough to know," I shrugged. "It's nice, but it's…"

"Quiet," we said in unison, laughing immediately afterwards.

"I can only wish for some quiet where I work," she sighed. "It's full of rowdy people and music and…" I looked up at her when she abruptly stopped. There was a spark of mischief in her eye and she leaned over the edge of the desk, lowering her voice significantly. "Have you ever been to a club?"

"I…" I frowned. "I don't understand."

"You know; a _club_…a blind tiger." When I didn't respond, she sighed and quickly looked around. "A speakeasy." My eyes widened slightly in shock.

"Uh…no, never." Ever since the Prohibition Act had gone into effect, I had heard rumors about clubs that served alcohol: speakeasies. "Why do you ask?"

* * *

><p>"No, no, no!" Emily exclaimed, waving her arms around like she was insane. "Absolutely not." I hadn't planned on telling Emily, but it had accidentally slipped out after she asked me about my day.<p>

Gloria—the woman I had helped in the library—had spent almost two hours telling me about the speakeasy she and a few friends ran nearby; I had asked her so many questions in a state of fascination that I was almost sure she was sick of me. She had laughed goodheartedly when I told her of my concern and said that my "aura" was one of the reasons she trusted me enough to tell me of such things—whatever that had meant.

_"How good are you at balancing?"_

_ It had been the strangest question I had ever been asked. When Gloria explained about a small incident that made her get rid of some girls who worked in the club, I understood completely._

_ "I'm sorry, but I just can't." I told her. She insisted that I at least see the club first, and if I was able to pull myself away from the beautiful world that had to be kept secret, she would understand. We had only walked a few blocks before getting to our destination, and only after a few short minutes, I knew I had dug myself into a hole I would never be able to get out of._

_ Behind the thick, metal doors was—as Gloria had said—a secret world that was unique and perfect; I had never seen anything that made me so…speechless. It was rich velvet curtains and beautiful damask wallpaper; polished wooden bar tops and railings, and elegant bejeweled chandeliers; a golden, illuminated stage and plush red seat cushions. I swore that I could've heard the faint, ghostly wailing of a trumpet echo throughout the room._

_ At that moment, as my eyes filled with tears of elated enthrallment, Gloria embraced me in a comforting hug and whispered "I know" into my ear. After taking a few seconds to compose myself, I pulled away from her embrace and stared her right in the eye._

_ "Where do I sign up?"_

I had gotten back to the apartment later that night, but early enough that I wouldn't be out after dark—especially not after all the ghost stories Emily told me when I was a little girl that still haunted me to this day—and hid the silky, so-revealing-it's-almost-embarrassing outfits Gloria had given me to try on, in the bottom drawer of my dresser, underneath the neatly folded sheets for my bed.

And the efforts I went to hide my excitement—and my new uniforms—were all in vain because of my big mouth!

"Gloria's the friendliest person I've ever met! Besides," I argued. "You're not mother. You can't tell me what I can or can't do."

"She does have a point," Greg interjected from his place on the sofa, where he was reading the newspaper. This was one of the reasons I loved Greg; he could always see who was right in an argument. This was also one of the reasons I thought my sister would murder him once they were married.

"Excuse me?" Emily turned and looked at Greg. "When did you become part of this argument?"

"I was just trying to help," he said sheepishly. I knew why he was scared; I was scared of Emily when she got angry too.

"Don't defend her, help _me_ get my point across!" Greg sighed in defeat.

"Listen, Robby," he said, tossing his paper aside. "The government banned this sort of thing for a reason. Gangsters, drunks…who knows what kind of people can cause trouble there."

"Because you've never thought about stepping foot inside of a speakeasy," I said, putting my hands on my hips.

"Well…"

"Gregory Holden!" Emily exclaimed in a mixture of shock and anger. "Don't you dare even _think_ about answering her question."

"Em," I sighed, walking over to her and placing my hands on her shoulders. "Gloria promised that she'd keep an eye out for me. It's her place, and she knows everything that goes on; I trust her enough to know that I'll be safe there." We stared into each other's eyes, blue vs. hazel in a silent war to see who would back down first.

"Fine," Emily groaned. "You win."

"I knew you would see it my way Em." I hugged her as tightly as I could.

"But I want to know where this place is so I can come and get you in case of anything," she dealt.

"Definitely."

"And I have to meet this Gloria," she added. "Because I'm not letting my baby sister just run off with strangers."

"Fine."

"And you…"

"Don't worry," I stopped her. "If I don't like what I see at Gloria's, I'll leave and I won't go back ever again." Emily attacked me with a giant hug.

"I just don't want to see anything happen to you," she whispered into my ear. She pulled away from me and smirked. "Mother would tear me to bits and then bury me in the backyard."

**A/N: No Klaus yet, but I promise that he'll be in the next chapter. Promise, promise, promise! I want to establish some of Robyn's life before I dive right into the good stuff. Let me know what you think. Reviews are wonderful, reviews are love, reviews make me happy, and a happy author writes faster. As I did before, a review gets you a sneak peek of Chapter 3. Until next time…**


	3. My Sister, the Rebel

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Emily's POV**

"I still don't see why this skirt has to be so short," I complained as I helped Robyn tie the shimmering silver ribbon that wrapped around her waist into a large, gaudy bow as I had been doing for the past two weeks.

I had expected Robyn to come home the first night with horror stories of what went on in that…that _place. _I sat up and waited for her to come home in the living room, and when I hear her key turn in the lock, I jumped for joy that she had come home in one piece.

"How was it?" I asked. She took off the coat she wore to conceal her garish outfit and tossed the bag with the clothes she wore to the library onto the couch haphazardly.

"Fun," she replied with a smile. Despite my disbelief that my sister, whose favorite pastimes were reading and listening to the radio, could possibly enjoy being at Gloria's, it was the only answer I really needed. Whatever made her happy…right? I had done many unsavory things when I was younger, like running off with my friends to the Fredericks' orchard to listen for ghosts almost every night. Mother had scolded me for days on end for that.

_"You have to set a good example for your younger sister, Emily. Just imagine what kind of trouble Robyn could get into when she's older!"_

Who knew my sister, little Robby who barely spoke at all to anyone outside the family, would end up the rebel.

"Are you even listening to me Em?" Robyn's voice broke me from the trance I had fallen into. "It's too tight; I can't breathe!"

"Oh!" I exclaimed, quickly pulling the bow undone. "Sorry."

"You're a little airheaded this morning, aren't you?" she teased.

"I'm just worried," I confessed as I retied the bow. "That's all. It's my job."

"Well, you take your job too seriously." I sighed and placed my hands on my sister's shoulders, looking at our reflections in the mirror we stood in front of. "How does it look?" she asked, nervously fingering the ruffled fabric of the blouse. This had been the third altered outfit Robyn had brought home to try on because Gloria couldn't get her size just right; that's what we Costello girls got for being so tiny. Greg had complained on more than one occasion that he thought he would crush me if he held me too tight.

"Perfect," I said and Robyn smiled brightly.

"Do you really think so?" she asked, turning around to face me.

"Of course I do," I told her. "You're a beautiful girl, Robby. You need to gain a little more confidence." Robyn blushed bashfully and scrunched up her face every time she did when she was embarrassed.

"Now it's time to get changed," I commanded, running my hands over her arms comfortingly. "You need to leave for the library soon, and I need to leave for work…" I quickly looked at the alarm clock on Robyn's bedside table. "Oh wow, right now."

"I'll see you tonight?" she called out as I ran to my bedroom to grab my jacket and purse.

"You'll be home for dinner?" I asked with a frown.

"Probably not," she replied.

"Then it depends on how late you get home," I told her, running back into her room. I quickly kissed my sister on the cheek and hugged her. "Call me if you need anything. I love you. Be safe."

"Blah, blah, blah," she mocked me.

"Stop it," I laughed, ruffling Robyn's hair, earning an annoyed groan. I walked back into the living room and grabbed my keys from the table so I could go. "I'll see you later. Bye."

"Love you. Bye," I heard her reply just as I closed the door behind me.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

"I don't know how my sister does it, but she makes the best jam sandwiches ever," I mused as Gloria and I sat at a table together inside the club, finishing our late lunches before the crowds were due to come and stay for the entire night. "She makes them better than I mother does."

"You still eat jam sandwiches?" Gloria asked skeptically, a mocking look on her face.

"I happen to like them," I defended. "They make me oh so sweet."

"Oh, of course," she laughed and then suddenly stopped. "Let me try."

"No," I shook my head as she tried to reach across the booth for what was left of my sandwich. "Get your own."

"Please," she begged, batting her eyelashes comically.

"Fine," I said in an exaggerated sigh, and ripped her off a chunk. She examined it for a moment, earning an eye roll, and then popped it into her mouth.

"Mmhm," she sighed in content. "Can Emily make me one tomorrow?" We both broke out into laughter that echoed through the empty room.

Emily had met Gloria the day before I had started at the club, and despite her initial reluctance to like anyone who was trying to lead me astray, she found Gloria to be a trustworthy person; the idea of _anyone_ not liking Gloria just astounded me since she was such a nice person. Whenever I was scheduled to work at Gloria's—which I made sure was not every night, since I needed my sleep too—we had walked to the club from the library together, talking and laughing. And if anyone was giving me trouble while I was working, Gloria was sure to stop it, whether she had one of the bouncers confront the scoundrel or she did herself.

"Alright," I sighed, getting out of the booth as I noticed some of the others who worked here slowly making their way into the club. "I might as well go and change."

"Don't forget the hat!" Gloria called after me as I disappeared behind a red curtain to get to the back changing rooms.

"Robyn! Robyn, wait!" I heard once I neared the curtained off room at the end of the long hallway. I turned around and saw Susannah running down the hall, waving frantically; she was a cigarette girl, like I was, except she was positioned by the door since she was quite clumsy when it came to walking in heeled shoes. She was one of the first ones to help ease my worries on my first night at Gloria's.

_ What if there was a police raid? I presented my fear to Susannah as she helped me pin up my hair._

_ "It's not going to happen," she dismissed. The thought—as scary as it seemed—went through my mind just once before I imagined a scenario that was even worse._

_ What if I fall down?_

_ "No one is as clumsy as I am," she scolded in a teasing manner. "You don't seem like the falling down type, and if you do, who cares? Am I right?"_

"I haven't seen you in a few days," she said, huffing and puffing as we made our way into the changing room. It was empty, except for a large mirror, two chairs and a cabinet to put our things in. "Where've you been?"

"You know I don't come in every night," I replied, pulling out my neatly folded outfit from my bag. "I have to get a break from the rowdy drunks sometimes."

"Do you two have everything you'll need tonight?" Gloria asked popping her head into the dressing room as Susannah was tying my waist bow a few minutes later. We were both dressed in outfits that resembled tuxedos, with ivory-colored blouses with a ruffled collar, puffy black circular skirts with silver ribbons accenting at the hem and the waist, where it was meant to be tied into a bow; we both had black bowties around our necks that had thin, barely-visible, vertical silver pinstripes, and on our heads were small black cocktail hats that had elegant bits of netting sticking out from the back.

"Think so," Susannah sighed, thumbing over her shoulder to our cigarette trays which were resting on the chairs, filled with matches, cigarettes, cigars and small chocolates for the ladies who didn't smoke. Although the tray was a bit uncomfortable to strap on at first, I had gotten used to it by now, and I barely noticed it there.

The faint sounds of the band began drifting to the back and I sighed. It was time to go out and put on a show.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

Boring; I didn't understand why Rebekah insisted on coming to Chicago, because apart from the nightlife—which hadn't been too easy to find, might I add—the city was boring. Everyone seemed to have a stick up their ass, which made it all the more fun to drain the blood from their worthless bodies.

"Why can't you just loosen up and have fun?" my sister whined as we walked into Gloria's for the fifth night in a row. I ignored her and walked over to the bar, which was crowded with humans and vampires alike who practically radiated their need for the illegal liquid that was being vended.

"What can I get you?" asked the barman when he noticed me.

"Whiskey," I answered blankly. As the man poured my drink, I searched out an open booth in the back, as the slow, sweet whine of the jazz band circulated through the large, crowd-filled club.

"There you go, sir," the barman said, placing the glass on the bartop before me, and then turning to tend to the other addicted patrons. I grabbed my glass and made my way to a booth that was being vacated. I sat down, stretching back against the soft leather seat; I spotted Rebekah fraternizing with a small group of men close to the stage and I rolled my eyes. It figured that she would immediately go on the prowl for a potential meal; she was getting very picky lately about those who she drank from.

My eyes scanned the crowd, observing the couples who swayed to the beat of the music, and noisy gentlemen who were gathered in the corner of the room, laughing at some meaningless joke. I finished the rest of my whiskey in one large gulp and I was about to set my glass on the table…

…Until I heard a sweet melodious voice from next to me.

"Good evening, sir."

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

I had spent most of the evening travelling around the club, often being stopped by those who wanted to smoke, and occasionally those who I had met a few times before. By the time I made my way through most of the upper level of tables and booths, my tray was half-empty and in desperate need of refilling. I noticed a man at the very end of the row, sitting by himself; I slowly approached him.

"Good evening sir," I greeted routinely, turning on my heel so I was facing him. He paused momentarily as he was placing his empty glass down.

"Yes. It is," he replied, looking up at me. He was quite handsome, with slicked dark blond hair and piercing grey-blue eyes. "Isn't it?"

"Would you like a cigarette, sir?" I asked with a smile, picking a pack up from my tray and offering it to him; he stared at me for a few seconds.

"No thank you," he replied with a wave of his hand, as if he were dismissing me. I nodded and placed the pack back into the tray. I turned and was about to leave when I felt the man grab my hand; my head quickly snapped back so I could look at him.

He was watching me with a dark look in his eyes and I could feel his thumb gently stroking the back of my hand. "Could I possibly get a drink?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," I shook my head and smiled politely. "That isn't my job, sir."

"Pity," he said, looking down at our hands. "You look very…thirst-quenching." His eyes quickly shot back up to mine and our gazes stayed locked for what felt like a lifetime. An uneasy feeling made its way into my stomach and I frowned, watching a smirk form on the man's lips. I quickly pulled my hand from his and walked away, hoping to get as far away from this man as I could.

* * *

><p>I listened to the rings, my foot tapping impatiently on the floor. It had been almost two hours, and I still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that the man in the booth had caused. I knew I was most likely imagining it, but it felt like his gaze had been stuck on my since I walked away from him.<p>

Here I was now, inside one of the few phone booths that were in a special niche in Gloria's. As I waited for the phone to stop ringing, I nervously picked at the plush red material of the wingback chair inside the booth, my eyes scanning the polished wood surfaces and the red velvet curtain that shut me out from the rest of the club.

"Hello?" a tired voice answered from over the phone.

"Emily?" I asked.

"Robby? Why are you calling; did something happen?" the sleep in Emily's voice disappeared immediately.

"No," I sighed in relief. "I just wanted to talk to you; I'm having…a long night."

"You needed someone to talk to," she replied in a statement instead of a question. Emily sighed and I could hear something click. "What happened?"

"Nothing," I answered quickly. "Nothing, I'm just…" I forced myself to think of something quickly. "Tired. I had a long day and it turned into a long night."

"That's it?" Emily sounded surprised. "You called me at…twelve-thirty to tell me your tired?"

"I'm sorry?" I tried, hoping I wouldn't get yelled at over the phone.

"No," she sighed again. "No, it's alright. This is a reason why I told you working at Gloria's was a bad idea. I'm going to be up, worried, until you get home just so I can give you a hug and know you're alright."

"You don't have to, Em," I laughed, suddenly feeling much better.

"No, I do," she replied. "I understand how it feels. I don't know how many times I had a long day and I just wanted to come home and spend time with you and Mother and Father."

I smiled and was about to reply when there was a knock from outside the phone booth and I knew that someone was waiting to use the phone.

"I'll be done in a minute," I called out to them. The knocking, though, was persistent, and I sighed in frustration. "It's called patience, you know." I reached forward and pulled the curtain open, gasping in shock when I saw who was on the other side.

"Robby?" Emily asked. "Something wrong?"

"No," I replied, momentarily tongue-tied. "I have to go now. I'll see you later." I fumbled as I put the receiver down to hang up. I didn't know what my expression was, but I can imagine that it resembled that of a goldfish.

Although his eyes were locked with mine, I could still see the smirk playing on his lips. The man's voice was as smooth as it had been when he stopped me from leaving his table earlier, and as good as his voice sounded in my ears, I could still feel the danger behind it. "Hello dear."

**A/N: Another chapter down. I got the idea of making Robyn a cigarette girl after catching a quick glimpse of one standing at the door in **_**End of the Affair **_**when I watched it the second time**_**.**_** It was so quick that I barely noticed it, but I'm glad I did. ****I'm happy that I'm on Thanksgiving break now, so I have a week off to write as much as I want to. And, oh boy, will I write. **

**Thanks for all the reviews from the last chapter. I love the feedback. Again, I will bribe potential reviewers with a preview of Chapter 4. Until next time…**


	4. The Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Robyn's POV**

"Sorry to interrupt," the man apologized without an ounce of sincerity in his voice. There was an air of malevolence that surrounded him, and I wanted nothing more than to be as far away from him as possible. Now. _Ten minutes ago_…

"I'm sorry for taking so long," I said, forcing a smile. "You can use the phone now." I took a step towards him so I could leave, but the man leaned forward leisurely, holding himself up on the sides of the phone booth.

"I don't need to use the phone," he said with a shrug.

"Then will you excuse me, please?"

"I'm afraid I can't," he cooed, his smirk getting wider. "I was actually hoping that I could talk with you." I watched, dumbstruck, as he stepped inside the already confined space, turned around, and drew the red velvet curtain closed.

"What do you want?" I asked; I backed away from him as he slowly approached me, only stopping when my back hit the wall.

"Well, _Robby_," he began, catching me off guard. "It is Robby, isn't it? What's that short for?" My mouth opened and closed as I tried to think of what to say; how had he heard Emily? _I _could barely hear her over the noises in the club.

"How did you—" I stammered. "You couldn't possibly have heard that."

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

"You don't need to be afraid," I said, taking a step closer to the obviously frightened human. I took note of a lock of hair that had fallen loose in front of her face and casually pushed it behind her ear. "I just want to talk." Not entirely a lie.

"About?" she asked.

"Anything," I shrugged, backing off and moving to sit down on the chair. "Everything." I watched as her eyes flickered to the drawn curtain and I smirked, knowing that she would try to leave. _What a master of plans I am._

"Forget about it," she sneered and tried to leave, but I grabbed her wrist firmly, yet gently so I wouldn't break it. I pulled her back so she was sitting on my lap, her legs casually draped over the arm of the chair, with my arms secure around her waist so she wouldn't try to leave.

"That wasn't very polite of you," I scolded. "Now was it, Robby?"

"Let me go," she exclaimed, struggling against my arms. I laughed inwardly at this little creature, and I knew that I wouldn't kill her just yet; she was very amusing. The first thing I noticed about her was not the irresistibly sweet scent of her blood, but instead the courage she had to approach a stranger when they clearly wanted to be left alone. There she had been, smiling politely and genuinely, her beautiful eyes almost glowing in the dull lighting.

"So," I began. "Robby can be short for quite a few things, but since you're a girl, that shortens the list considerably. Roberta? You don't look like a Roberta; you're too pretty to be a Roberta. Maybe…Robyn?" Her eyes widened slightly before she turned her head away from me so I wouldn't see her face and I chuckled. "Robyn it is then. I like it."

"Do you?" she asked icily.

"Undeniably," I replied. "It fits. Robyn…my little bird."

"I'm not your little anything," she snapped.

"Of course you are," I objected, leaning closer to her, my lips barely touching the soft skin of her neck.

"What are you doing?" she asked anxiously. I pulled away from her and looked into her eyes; as much fun as it was to have my dinner scream and fight me away, a little voice inside my head kept nagging and nagging me against it. _When did I grow a conscience?_

"You don't need to be afraid of me Robby," I whispered, compelling the fear away.

As I leaned back down, carefully pushing her silken hair back over her shoulder, hunger overcame my senses. I was just about to bite into her neck when the curtain of the phone booth was roughly pulled open and light from the club poured into the dark, confined space; I looked up and scowled when I found my little sister standing there, looking very angry and annoyed.

"Sorry to interrupt your little snack, but it's time to go," Rebekah snapped.

"Then go," I scoffed. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little busy."

"No," she replied, stomping on the ground in a tantrum. "I want to go to another club; it's not too far, but I would rather take the car. I'm sure you can find another girl who is to your liking once we're there."

"Bekah," I simply said with enough malice in my voice to get her to leave.

"Nik," she replied in the same tone. "We're leaving." She let out a strangled sigh of annoyance and stormed off.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

_"You don't need to be afraid of me Robby."_

It was the sentence that changed everything; the fear that had been jumping up and down my throat since I had walked away from this strange man was gone, and in its place was a flood of confusion and anger and sadness and curiosity. Strings of questions filled my previously blank mind once the fear went away.

_Who is he?_ How had this man heard Emily call me Robby? No one else in the club had said my name tonight…had they? And even if they had, he was too far away in the loud room to hear.

_What is he doing?_ I could feel his warm breath on my neck as he pushed my hair over my shoulder, and as good it felt, it was also very…strange to me; what was going on? I listened to him inhale deeply and exhale with almost a growl of a sigh.

_ What's happening? _His lips ghosted over my skin, and I knew that I should have been afraid…but I wasn't. I was calm and angry at the same time; a battle of emotions was coursing through me and every single one had joined in…except fear.

When the red curtain was ripped open, and I saw a beautiful, but fuming, woman standing there, my fear had returned. As they spoke, their voices were practically white noise in my ears; they spoke quickly and the fear for this woman made my brain freeze. As they finished their heated conversation, the woman glanced at me quickly and for a split second I thought I saw sympathy in her eyes, before she turned on her heal and walked away.

"I'm sorry about my brat of a sister," the man's voice broke through my panic and I turned my head to look him in the eye. "She really knows how to ruin things." As the man helped me to my feet, I had a feeling that he meant the last part for himself.

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to console the stranger. He looked at me with a strange look in his eyes."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he whispered. Suddenly he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on my lips, backing away ever so slightly before smiling. "I will be back for you soon enough, my little bird."

I was about to reply, but once I blinked, I found that he had vanished into thin air. My body reacted before my mind could, taking an involuntary step back as a chill washed over me.

"What in God's name…" I muttered. I was dreaming; that had to be the reason. I was delusional, because it couldn't have been real. I had to sit down immediately for fear that I would fall over in shock; I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the back of the chair.

"It can't be…" I muttered in disbelief.

**A/N: Another chapter! I know it's pretty short, but it's another chapter. (ACT prep and Driver's Ed are really eating away at my free time, so I'm really sorry. Not to mention the holidays are here, and as much as I love the holidays, I almost punched a dude at the store for taking the last Ice Skating Rink for the Holiday Village set I'm collecting.) RANT!**

**Anyways, I will bribe my readers as I always do. Reviews for previews of the next chapter, which I promise will be bigger and better, because now I have the time to write! Until next time…**


	5. Trouble Magnet

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Emily's POV**

_May 22, 1920_

_It's been three days. Three days since Robyn called me from Gloria's. Three days since she came home, utterly silent and ready to go to bed—which is odd, since she's always ready to talk about what a great time she had at Gloria's. What worries me the most, though, is that it has been three days since Robyn's nightmares have started._

_I have been kept awake for hours at night, listening to my sister thrashing and talking in her sleep. Whenever I ask if she what her nightmares were about, she tells me she doesn't remember. She seems fine, but I have this gut instinct that something is wrong. I asked Greg about what he thought I should do, but he seems to think that if I leave the matter alone, it will fix itself._

"_Robyn's not your baby sister anymore," he said. "I know you're worried, but she'll only be angry with you if you try to control her life."_

_I know that he's right…but I only want to protect her._

* * *

><p>"Isn't this nice?" I asked as I stirred the batter for the angel food cake.<p>

"Of course it is," Robyn smiled over her shoulder at me. "Family dinner; just like home. When's Greg going to get here?"

"Soon," I replied. "He said he needed to stop by the office before coming here."

"On a Sunday?" Robyn laughed.

"You know how he is," I swatted at her as she passed me to get to the stove. "Mr. Dedicated Business Man; he stops work for nothing."

"Uh huh."

"Sort of like you," I said with a sigh. "I wish you wouldn't go to Gloria's tonight; it's Sunday night. Spend it with us, please."

"As fun as staying sounds, I haven't been to the club in days," she took a deep breath. "I want to go."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Of course I'm sure."

"Completely?"

"What's wrong with you, Emily?" Robyn frowned, then put a hand to my forehead. "No fever."

"I'm just…overprotective."

"Trust me, Em." Robyn began. "I already knew that."

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

It was already getting dark outside by the time I left the apartment, the skies a beautiful mixture of reds, blues and violets behind the looming silhouettes of buildings. I had walked this way many times since moving in with Emily—it was the route I took to the Library every morning, and the way I walked home after I was finished with my shift at Gloria's—so I knew most of the people who sat on their porches on warm nights or cool mornings and often would stop for a hello and quick conversation. But ever since missing person articles began popping up in the newspaper, I had tried to keep my eyes peeled for anyone out of the ordinary.

Tonight, though, would be the perfect time for someone to snatch me, kill me, and leave my body in an alleyway to rot. Every "hello, Robyn" sent my way was answered with a monotone "hello" in reply; I didn't know who I had passed, or if I even knew them. My mind was completely occupied with the handsome, yet dangerous stranger I had met just a few short nights ago.

Some part of me hoped I wouldn't see him again, that he was just some figment of my imagination, the product of reading too many Gothic novels. Another part of me, though—the shy little girl with her head in the clouds, who was made fun of by the other children for being a quiet bore—wanted him to be real. It was a small part, but it was there; just to prove that I wasn't insane.

I eventually made it to Gloria's, kicking myself internally when I saw the row of cars lining the alleyway. I quickly ran to the door and knocked, waiting for Johnnie to open the door.

"You're late," he chastised as he opened the door to let me in.

"Not by much," I replied sharply. "I lost track of time."

"And you're not dressed."

"You know I can't walk around Chicago in that outfit without my coat, and it's too warm outside." I lifted my bag up to show him. "I just need to run to the back and change; no one will notice. Since when are you so nosy?"

"Since Susannah began complaining." Johnnie smirked and quickly closed the door, bolting it shut as I made my way into the lion's den.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

"You're brooding," Rebekah said, approaching the booth I was occupying, with a glass of champagne in her hand.

"Am I?" I asked, looking past her at the rest of the room. "If I recall correctly, it was you who threw a tantrum so we would leave; why are you so fond of this place now?"

"The idiot that bothered me isn't here tonight," she replied happily.

"Why didn't you just rip his heart out?"

"I didn't want to ruin my dress," she stated as if it was the obvious answer. I was about to make a snide remark to my sister about her vanity, but I caught some movement at the corner of my eye.

The deep red curtain by the door parted slightly, allowing a petite figure to enter the club; I smirked at the sight of my little bird. Rather than the _delicious_ outfit she had been wearing the other night, she was in a casual grey dress; her hair was tied to one side with a bright red ribbon. As she glanced around the club, a small smile formed on her lips and she quickly walked across the room towards another curtain—which I had thought, until now, was just for decoration—that lead to a dimly lit hallway with a series of doors.

"Were you even listening to me?" Rebekah asked from across the table.

"No," I told her bluntly as I turned to her. "I wasn't."

"It's the human, isn't it? The one from the other night who you were about to take a bite out of." I stayed silent. "You should leave her alone." This confused me greatly; my sister had always shown an indifference when it came to humans. Why was she acting this way?

"Why do you care?" I asked. She shot me an irritated look and I shrugged. "Indulge me."

"You didn't see the look in her eyes," she replied. "She was…lost, confused, and most of all, scared. You shouldn't torment the girl."

"So, if I drain her, that's alright, but if I want to have a little fun…I'm not allowed to?" I asked in an amused tone.

"You think you're funny, don't you?" Rebekah sighed, then stood up and walked away. "Do whatever you want; I don't care."

I was left alone to wonder just when my sister had grown a conscience. _Probably the same time you did,_ was the answer I got in return. I smirked and lifted my drink up to my lips; just because I felt something akin to compassion when it came to Robyn—although it was a stretch to even call it _that_—didn't mean that I had to listen to my sister's suggestion.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

"I love it when Gloria's is like this," Susannah commented, waving her arm out in a grand gesture to the practically empty club. It was late, very late, and we were the only ones in the club, aside from some of the band members who were practicing a new song, and Gloria who was in the back looking over the books to see what profit was made tonight.

Susannah and I were sitting on the bartop, a spoon in each of our hands, and a jar of Van Camp's peanut butter between us as a late night snack. The club had "closed" almost an hour ago, but some of us always stayed later—including Johnnie, who was still sitting at the door—in case someone had forgotten something at the table they had been at.

"It _is_ easier to enjoy the music without all the people," I replied. Susannah scooped some more peanut butter onto her spoon and put it into her mouth with a happy sigh.

"You know," she began. "If you skipped going to the library for just _one day_, we could stay out late and I could take you to another speakeasy across town that's open until sunrise; they make the best apple pie. I could loan you one of my dresses and we could leave right after Gloria's closes…like a girl's night."

"I don't think so," I shook my head with a frown.

"Why not?" Susannah asked in shock. "And don't give me "I like the library" as an excuse. It won't work."

"I don't drink," I replied.

"There's more to do than drink at a speakeasy, Robyn," she scoffed. "You should know that by now."

"I don't like crowds."

"Then why do you work here?" Susannah asked.

"Can you just drop it?" I asked. "I don't want to go. There are other ways to have fun than staying out at all hours."

"What happened to the adventure you were telling me about?"

"There's a line between adventure and irresponsibility."

"And you don't know where that line is," Susannah sighed and then hopped off the bartop. "I'm going to go change and then I'm going home; I'm feeling a little…lethargic." She ran a hand over her uniform and then walked away, disappearing behind the red curtain to the back hall.

I had already changed back into the clothes I had arrived in and my bag was sitting on the stool I was using to support my feet. I picked up the jar of peanut butter, suddenly resistant of its crunchy sweetness, and stirred the contents around with my spoon as I watched the band pack up their instruments, responding to their tired, yet cheerful goodbyes as they left.

I sighed and looked around the empty club; my eyes roamed over the tables and chairs and chandeliers that hung gracefully, when finally, my gaze landed, not on the stage, but the piano that was placed right at the edge of it.

I climbed slightly ungracefully from the bartop and walked across the large room, climbing the small set of steps once I reached the stage. Curiosity got the better of me when I got to the top, and I looked out at the rest of the club; there was an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach and I wondered if this was how Gloria felt when she got on the stage to sing. I shook my head and continued forward to the piano.

I gently ran a hand over the polished wood and paused when I felt the smooth keys under my fingers. I sat down on the bench and cautiously placed my fingers on a few keys, adding a little pressure at a time; I listened to the outcome, happy that it was just as I had remembered it to sound. I felt my hands move almost at their own accord, slowly producing a melody that was both familiar and foreign to my ears at the same time from lack of performance.

"Now Robby," a deep voice said, startling me so much that the next sound that came from the piano was harsh and almost painful. _Oh for God's sake,_ I thought_. No._ "I didn't know you could play the piano."

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

I smirked as I walked up the steps to the stage; the shocked look on Robyn's face was…beyond words. I took pleasure at the fact that there was no fear present in her expression, and continued up the steps.

"You shouldn't be here," Robyn said matter-of-factly. "Gloria's is closed." I let out a laugh and she frowned.

"Business hours may be over, but I'm here for _personal_ reasons," I told her. "The rules don't apply to me—not that they do in any other case."

"Why are you here?" she asked. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Now where would the fun in that be?" Robyn sighed and got up from the piano bench; she walked around the piano and jumped off the stage, landing a little less than gracefully.

"I don't have to put up with this; I'm leaving," she huffed and walked towards the door. Once she was close enough to the door, I rushed across the room and stopped right in front of her. I held up the bag she had with her earlier, which had been sitting at the bar forgotten, and smirked.

"Don't forget your bag," I told her. She looked up at me, eyes full of shock and confusion, and reached over to take it from me, but I smirked and rushed a few feet behind her. Robyn gasped and looked around, her hand slamming over her chest when she saw me.

"How are you doing that?" she asked with a frown.

"Use your imagination," I replied.

"I'm tired," she said. "I want to go home. Can I have my bag, please?"

"Come and get it Robby," I smirked, making a gesture. Robyn sighed and walked down the steps leading to the door and onto the main floor; she held her hand out as she got closer, expecting me to give it to her. _She can't really expect it to be _that_ easy, can she?_ Before she even knew what happened, I was across the room, sitting in the booth I had occupied the other night when she first caught my interest.

"You're going to have to do better than that, sweetheart," I mocked her. Robyn shook her head, and turned around.

"I'm not playing your game," she murmured. "Keep it; I don't care. I'm leaving." She turned on her heel and walked away from me. _Well, this just won't do._

I dropped her bag onto the floor and rushed across the room, pushing her against the wall, one of my hands on her waist and the other resting gently on her neck, my thumb caressing her jaw. My eyes slowly roamed over the small creature. I noticed now that I had been wrong earlier due to the dim lighting in the club; her dress was not grey, but rather a dull blue that complimented her, and very well at that.

"I can't let you just walk out of here Robyn," I told her, my words distant in my ears as the sound of her heartbeat became louder.

"I don't understand what you want from me," she replied. "You say you want to talk…and then…I don't know what you are, but you aren't normal." I smirked.

"Define normal."

"Just tell me what you want from me," she snapped, her face contorting with anger. "Because you are really getting on my nerves!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, I asked myself the same question. What _did_ I want with Robyn? Her blood, yes, but there had to be something else if I didn't want to drain her and leave her to die in some dark alley, like I had done with numerous other faceless girls over the past few weeks. What made her different?

"What do I want from _you_?" I repeated.

"Yes," she nodded.

"I want—"

"_I _want you to leave," a new voice interrupted me. I looked over my shoulder, and found Gloria standing across the room, arms crossed over her chest. "We're closed for the night."

"I was just having a little conversation," I smirked and looked at Robyn; as I backed away from her, my hand cupping her cheek for a moment before I let my arm drop back to my side. "Weren't we, dear?"

"No," Gloria shook her head. "It looked like you were harassing one of my girls. Not only that, but you were harassing one of my _friends_. You should leave before I make you leave."

"Alright," I nodded. "You win tonight. _Only_ tonight, though." I turned to face Robyn, her eyes wide with confusion as her gaze darted back and forth between me and the witch. I waited a moment longer, until our eyes connected, and then I left in the split second when she blinked.

**A/N: Winter vay-cay has begun. I have all the time in the world to write and sleep and bake and write. I was watching football—as mad as I am that Green Bay lost to the Chiefs (_the Chiefs!_) maybe they won't be such egotistical knuckleheads as the Patriots were a few years back—when I got the inspiration to finish this chapter.**

**Was it good? Bad? Let me know what you think! Reviews for previews, as always. Things are going to really start firing up soon, so you're going to want to start getting your reviews on.**

**Until next time, which will be sooner than you think…**


	6. Her Blood

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Emily's POV**

It was late by the time Robyn got home, almost around one, but I was still awake because Greg had left late. I was in the living room, reading a magazine and listening to the radio quietly, when I heard Robyn's key jiggle in the lock and the door open.

"Robby?" I called out into the small hallway. "That you?"

"Yeah," she replied somberly. The door shut and she walked into the living room, a frown on her face, idly dropping her bag on the floor as she fell next to me onto the couch. She grabbed one of the decorative throw pillows and clutched it to her chest.

"What's wrong?" I asked, putting my magazine down; the coupon for the cake flour could wait when my sister was upset.

"Gloria told me to stay home for the next few nights," Robyn muttered.

"Isn't that a good thing?" I asked as I turned to sit facing her. "We can look through catalogues together; find some nice dresses?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I guess." My frown deepened and pushed her hair out of her face, much like our mother would do when we were younger, and came back from our imaginary adventures in the orchard.

"What's bothering you?" I asked gently.

"_He_ is," she hissed and I was surprised that such a malicious sound could come from her.

"Who are you talking about?"

"I don't know!" she jumped up, clutching the pillow so tightly that her knuckles were stark white. "I don't know who he is! He's this guy at Gloria's and he just…oh, Em! He's terrible! He keeps talking…but it's like a game to him!"

"What did he do?"

"Nothing, but he wants to," she replied, pacing back and forth nervously. "He says he wants to talk, and then he…Gloria told me to stay away from him. She told me that he was dangerous, Em!"

"Maybe you shouldn't go—"

"No," Robyn shook her head. "The club isn't the problem; it's _him_. Oh, I just want to slap that smug look on his stupid face! I'm not scared of him…so why do I need to change my life, avoid the things I like, just _because_ of him?" We were silent for a few minutes, and I just watched Robyn pacing until it got to be enough.

"Is he the reason that you've been having nightmares, Robby?" I questioned. She stopped and looked at me as if I had grown a second head, her eyes wide in confusion.

"What nightmares?" she asked. "I thought I told you; I haven't been having any nightmares."

"Yes you have," I told her. "Do you know how I know? I have to listen to you cry in your sleep, and I'm the one who has to get up and make sure you're ok! So if you want to deny it—"

"I'm not _denying_ it," Robyn said with a frown. "I…I go to sleep, I wake up. No dreams, no nightmares; nothing." She took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm just…I'm going to go to bed. We'll have _plenty_ of time to talk when I get home from the library tomorrow."

She threw the pillow back onto the couch, picked up her bag, and went to her room.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

_I was sitting in a dark room; it was so dark, that I couldn't see more than a foot in front of me. My hands were gripping the arms of the chair tightly as fear bloomed in my chest. There was a distant scream and I recognized it immediately. _Emily. _I tried to stand up, but once I did, two arms locked tightly around me, pulling me backwards against the chest of the person they belonged to._

_ "Let me go," I pleaded, trying to pry the arms away._

_ "Where would the fun in that be?" The voice was smooth and calm and I knew that it was _him_. I struggled to get away, knowing that I needed to find Emily. "Now, now. You must learn to relax, my little bird, or else I'll need to put you in a cage." I stilled as he lowered his face to my neck._

_ "ROBYN!" Emily screamed and I tried to get away from him again, but his hold on me was solid._

_ "Shh," he whispered; his lips close to my ear. "Are you scared?"_

_ "Yes," I admitted._

_ "Say it."_

_ "I'm scared…"_

_ "Of what?" My sister screamed again, louder this time, and his grip on my arms got tighter._

_ "I'm scared for Emily," I told him, closing my eyes and wishing for this to be over._

_ "Oh Emily is just fine," he said. "But you…" He didn't finish his sentence though; I could feel him lean closer, lips brushing softly over my pulse point. He chuckled softly and then he…_

"Robyn! Wake up!" My eyes shot open as my sister's voice reached my ears and I looked around; the sun was shining through my bedroom window. I took a deep breath and frowned; why was my heart beating so fast? I placed a hand on my forehead; every morning for the past few days, I had been waking up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily, my heartbeat racing. Maybe I was coming down with something.

I took a deep breath and ran both hands over my face and into my hair, trying to wake myself up. I pushed myself out of bed, dragged myself the kitchen, where Emily was already making coffee, and I went to start breakfast. As I went to the icebox to get the eggs and tomatoes I had gone to the market for the day before, I noticed that Emily was watching me.

"What?" I stopped to ask.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

"Of course I am," I nodded. "Why?"

"You look a bit…pale."

"I feel fine, Em." I shrugged and with that, the subject was dropped.

"I'm going with Greg to his mother's this afternoon," Emily said once we finished eating and were getting ready to leave for the day.

"Hmm. Why?"

"She wants to get him to call off the engagement," she replied nonchalantly. I rolled my eyes and continued to fix my hair; Mrs. Holden hated Emily with a passion—I think it has something to do with the color of her hair—and no matter how many times Greg insisted that he loved Emily, she wasn't going to give up her attempts to pry them apart.

"Do you want me to drive you to the library this morning?" Emily asked, quickly changing the subject before I could make a comment about her witchy future mother-in law.

"I walk every day, Em," I shrugged. "I know you worry, but nothing's going to happen to me."

* * *

><p>I got to the library late, but only by 5 minutes; so as long as none of the other, older, stricter, <em>evil<em> librarians didn't see me I figured I would be alright. In fact, the library was completely silent and appeared to be devoid of life; my footsteps echoed as I made my way towards my desk. I sat down and smoothed my dress, and as I reached into my bag for the book I had brought with me—I know, I'm such a bore. I brought a book to a library—I noticed a small blue book sitting in front of me on the desk. I opened it and was about to stand up so I could put it back where it belonged, but I was intrigued by the title.

I was never one to judge a book by its cover—literally and figuratively—and seeing as there was nothing to do, and I had already read the book I brought with me a few times, I didn't see any harm in reading a few pages. It was hours later that I finished reading it, only stopping every now and then when someone needed help, and I slowly rubbed my eyes and blinked a few times so my vision could adjust to the world beyond the pages of a book. I took a deep breath and when I opened my eyes, I frowned.

"How did that get there?" I muttered. On top of my desk, in the exact same place this book had been, was another book. Instead of picking it up and reading it, this time I looked around, my eyes roaming over the shelves and empty hallways to find who had left it there. I know that it hadn't been there when I had gotten back from shelving some books on the cart close by, and no one had stopped at my desk since then.

I stood up, picked the book up, and began my journey back to the card catalog so I could see where it and the other book belonged. There were small whispers floating through the air, the distant sounds of cars passing by as I got closer to the windows, and the soft clicks of my shoes against the floor. And then there was another set of footsteps, even and slow, like mine. The further I walked, I expected the footsteps to fade, but instead, the sound remained the same. I turned around and frowned when I didn't see anyone behind me.

"Weird," I whispered to myself and continued on my way. As I got to the end of the aisle and I was about to turn down another one, there was a hand on my arm, pulling me backwards and into someone. I closed my eyes as my heart practically stopped in my chest.

"It's you," I laughed bitterly. "Isn't it?"

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

"Oh Robyn. I was expecting a warmer welcome, but yes," I smirked and turned her around so she was facing me. "It's me."

"And why are you here?" she asked with a scowl.

"It's a library," I replied.

"You aren't a student of the University," she told me.

"And what if I am?" I asked.

"You aren't."

"How do you know that?"

"You don't seem like the student type."

"And what is the "student type?"" I asked in an amused tone.

"Anyone who isn't you," Robyn replied. "Now I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"You seem to do that a lot lately," I began. "You know, ask me to leave. I have to say that you are the kindest person I've ever met; others just try to throw me out."

"Maybe I should start doing that?" She ridiculed and pulled out of my grasp to go on her way.

"Did you enjoy it?" I asked suddenly.

"Enjoy what?" she asked, turning around.

"The book," I answered, my smirk growing by the second. "You seemed like you were enjoying it."

"Yes, I did." she said cautiously and continued to walk away.

"You know, I didn't really expect you to read the entire thing," I told her as I followed her. "You're quite a strange little creature, Robby. I've been waiting here for hours."

"Don't call me Robby!" she snapped, quickly looking over her shoulder at me.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because I don't want you to," she replied sharply. Robyn finally reached her destination, the card catalog, and when she opened one of the drawers, I pushed it shut. She huffed in frustration and looked up at me with a burning gaze that was so intense I probably should have been worried that I would drop dead on the spot.

"What do you want?" she asked in a hushed tone, taking a quick glance around to see if anyone was nearby. I smirked as I listened to her heartbeat quicken with her aggravation.

"What do I want?" I repeated. "What…do _I_ want? Well, that is quite simple, Robyn." Her eyes widened for a second and then she shook her head and stared right into my eyes.

"Well?" she asked. I quickly took a step forward and pushed her against the large cabinet, my hands firmly on her waist, and the books she was holding fell to the floor with a dull thud. I leaned down, pressing my lips against the soft, supple skin of her neck and breathing in her scent—a very delectable mixture of blood and almonds.

"Oh Robyn," I murmured into her ear, forcing my self-control to last just a bit longer. "I thought that would be easy to figure out. I. Want. You."

I swiftly bit into her, my fangs cutting through her flesh easily, letting her blood flow rapidly into my mouth and down my throat, quenching the thirst I had been ignoring since I watched her walk in earlier that morning. Robyn shrieked in pain, her hands suddenly on my shoulders, trying to push me away with all her effort. I chuckled at her attempts, savoring her cries as much as I savored the taste of her blood; I was happy that I had compelled every human in the library to stay away, because I would hate to kill someone if they had interrupted this.

"Stop," she whimpered, her hands clutching my suit jacket tightly. "P-please. Please stop." I frowned, thinking of all the other girls I had fed from before Robyn, all of their screams, all of their bodies lying limply in my arms before I tossed them away without a second thought. I could have cared less about them, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't imagine Robyn's face on any of them; I couldn't care less about all of them—they were disposable—so why couldn't I do the same with this one girl.

I slowly pulled away, silently wishing that I would change my mind and just feed until she was dead, but I knew that I couldn't. I took one hand off of her waist and pressed it against her neck to stop her blood from staining her pretty, spring green dress. She winced, and once I had backed far enough away, I could see the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked softly as she sobbed.

"I don't know," I snapped in reply. "I could've killed you. I _should've _killed you, and just walked out of here without a care in the world. But I didn't, and I don't know why!" She reached up and tried to pry my hand away from her neck, but I kept it in place.

"Let go! Leave me alone," she said.

"Do you want to bleed to death?" I asked. "Because if you do, then my stopping was a waste." She stared up at me with wide eyes and slowly shook her head. "Good."

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

A vampire, just like the ones in the stories Hollis Madison used to tell in the schoolyard when we were kids. This one, though, wasn't in the imagination of one of my childhood friends, or a character in a dusty old book; this vampire was real. He watched me with a pensive gaze, his lips still covered in my blood, and his hand putting pressure on my neck where he bit me. I should've been scared, but I wasn't. I was…angry and confused.

I watched as he lifted his arm up to his mouth, his eyes suddenly changing to a mixture of blood red and deep gold with spiny veins protruding against the skin under his eyes, and he bit savagely into his wrist.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he held his bloody wrist to me.

"It'll heal you," he explained. "No, if you'll please…"

"No," I shook my head as much as I was able to. "That's…no."

"Are you really going to be stubborn about this?" he asked sharply.

"I," I eyed his blood in contempt, but shook my head. He slowly pushed his wrist to my lips, forcing my lips open and allowing his blood to fill my mouth. It was warm and thick, very coppery and, surprisingly, a little bit sweet. I wrenched my eyes shut and forced myself not to gag as I swallowed, and a moment later, I forced his arm away, coughing as the second mouthful of his blood traveled down my throat.

"There now," he muttered with a small smile, pulling his hand away from my neck. "All better. It wasn't that bad was it?" I sighed, and was caught off guard when I began to sway, suddenly feeling very dizzy and tired. He caught me and gently lowered me to the ground, holding me gently to his chest as he leaned against the cabinet. "Easy, easy; I might have given you a little too much. You'll be a little…woozy for an hour or so. Sorry."

"No you're not," I mumbled, my eyelids heavy. As much as I wanted to get as far as I could from him, I was just so…at ease in his arms.

"What kind of a monster do you think I am?" he asked.

"The one who drinks blood from girls who haven't done anything to you?" I asked in return, and then listened to him chuckle softly.

"Very perceptive, you are," he said softly into my ear. "Robyn Elizabeth Costello. My smart little bird; I bet you were born in the spring."

"The summer, actually," I said, looking up at him. I frowned and then sighed. "It isn't fair, you know."

"What isn't?" he asked.

"You know so much about me—when I was born, where I work, my full name—and I don't know anything about you, except that you're a real vampire who won't leave me alone."

"What if I don't want to leave you alone?" he asked in an amused tone.

"I don't even know your name," I snapped.

"You do," he scoffed.

"No."

"Well then, let's remedy this situation," he laughed. "My name is Niklaus."

"Niklaus," I muttered. It sounded like…a name in some old storybook about princes and princesses.

"Yes. But you, my dear, may call me Klaus, if you like."

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, my friends, but Mr. Flu seriously took me down a few pegs…more than a few actually…and I've just finished getting over it. Glugh! It was gross; you don't want to know. Anyways, here I am, back at last.**

**Next off, I'd like to apologize for not sending the previews this time around, but I didn't get a chance to write until today and I figured that I was going to post it anyways…it would have been futile. This time, though, I definitely promise to send the sneak peeks for the next chapter, so review! Review, review, review! Until then…**


	7. The First Death

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Robyn's POV**

"So," Susannah said loudly as she walked into our dressing room, and I jumped, the bow I had been attempting to tie with my hair ribbon now ruined; I looked over at her through the mirror. "Your admirer is back tonight."

"Really?" I asked with indifference, looking back at my reflection so I could finish getting ready. Niklaus had been at Gloria's every night since he…fed from me the other day at the library, and I tried to avoid him as much as I could. I could always feel his gaze on me as I walked around the club and the hot tingle it sent down my spine was getting to be very bothersome.

"He brought a flower for you last night," Susannah continued with a small smile. "A lily, or something; it was beautiful. But when I told him you had the night off, he seemed really disappointed."

"Oh." I sighed.

"He seems like a sweetheart," she said, skipping over excitedly. "Why don't you like him?"

"I…" I knew I couldn't tell her; I wish that _I_ didn't know. Ever since I found out that vampires were real, I had been noticing things every night I was working at Gloria's. There were a few of them lurking in the darker corners of the club, the parts that I usually stayed away from, casually biting into the wrists and necks of the dancers and the waiters. No matter how hard I tried to ignore them, I constantly found myself looking in their direction; I knew what they were—what they were doing—and I was afraid.

"I don't know," I lied.

"Oh," she laughed and walked over, giving me a huge hug from behind. "But you do like him! Oh, I love it; my little girl, all grown up and falling in love."

"Susannah!" I exclaimed in shock. "What are you talking about? I don't…I'm not…"

"Don't deny it, Robby!" she squealed in excitement.

"I'm not denying anything, Susannah! So just drop it, please." I snapped and quickly tied the red ribbon around my wrist, giving up on my hair. I walked over to my chair and picked up my tray. "We need to go before Gloria gets angry."

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

I had been one of the first ones in Gloria's tonight; the only other people in the club when I arrived were the band, a few waiters and a handful of humans eager for the excitement of the night to begin. Rebekah had complained endlessly when I told her I was leaving a short while earlier.

_"How else am I supposed to get there, Nik?" _she had asked. I was surprised that she hadn't tried to kill me when I swiftly answered "walk," although her ear-shattering tantrum-induced scream had left my ears ringing for quite some time.

I quickly scanned the club for any sign of Robyn, and although her scent lingered in the air, she was nowhere to be found; I did, however, spot one person who I was certain could help me with one of the many problems currently on my plate.

I slowly approached the bar, where Gloria was pulling bottles of champagne out of a very large box and meticulously lining them up on the tall shelves, their foreign labels facing forward. I had been intrigued when I first realized that Gloria was a witch, and after some discussion with some vampires who frequented the local speakeasies, I knew she was quite a powerful one; I had planned to…enlist her help a few weeks ago, but seeing as she had threatened me when I got too close to Robyn, I was unable to act.

Tonight was different, though; I had a feeling that tonight, things would begin to look my way.

"I do hope you have something stronger than champagne to serve tonight, Gloria." I said as I reached the bar, smirking in satisfaction as Gloria jumped in surprise to face me.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she sneered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Is this how you treat your other loyal customers?" I asked, feigning astonishment. Gloria continued to glare at me so I continued. "I'm here to ask for a favor actually."

"A favor?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in disdain.

"Yes. I'm in a bit of a bind, you see," I replied. "In return, I'll owe _you_ a favor. Anything you ask for…"

"Stay away from Robyn," she snapped immediately.

"…except for that." I pursed my lips in contemplation. "There must be something else you want; anything." Gloria leaned forward over the bar, her glare suddenly becoming more intense, and a dull ache began to spread pierce my skull; I knew what she was doing, but I stood my ground, refusing to show that she was affecting me.

"I know what you are, and I know what you want," she jeered quietly. "The only thing I want is for you, _hybrid_, to leave my friend alone; she's a good kid, and doesn't need you bothering her."

"Now, now, Gloria," I began. "Robyn's safe with me—"

"Is she?" she interrupted. "When she came in the other night, there was blood on her dress, and she refused to tell me where it came from."

"Simple mistake," I told her. "It—" I was interrupted by a loud burst of chatter as people began filing into the club.

"Stop," I turned back to face Gloria, who sighed in defeat. "This isn't the time to talk about this…if you come back late tonight, after the club closes, I'll see what I can do for you." I smirked.

"Thank you," I said softly. Gloria nodded and then quickly left to get ready for her first performance of the night.

I was about to go back to my table when I saw Robyn and the other cigarette girl walk into the room from behind the thick curtain near the stage, the tuxedo-style costumes they had been wearing for the past few weeks now replaced with an equally scandalous red and gold getup. They exchanged a few words and then went their separate ways; I smirked.

Maybe things _were_ going my way tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

"Hey doll face," I turned around and saw a group of men at a table playing cards, all of them looking over at me. "Yeah you, sweetheart; over here." I smiled and quickly made my way over to the table.

"How can I help you tonight, gentlemen?" I asked.

"Cigarettes." It came as a unified reply, and I smiled and nodded, going to grab them from my tray.

"Say, what kind of candies are those?" one of the men asked, looking up from his cards to ask me.

"I believe that they are chocolate covered cherries, sir," I replied, placing the cigarettes on the table.

"I'll take one of them too," he said bashfully, quickly glancing over at the stage. As I handed him a small, gold chocolate box, I followed his line of sight to find that the dancers had just finished their performance.

"I'm sure she's a very lucky lady, sir," I told him.

"I don't think she even knows I'm alive," he laughed.

"Well, I wish you good luck then, sir." I turned on my heel and was about to leave when I felt a hand on my arm. I turned back around and found a young man with light brown hair and very kind green eyes.

"Oh Mr. Salvatore, I didn't see you there," I greeted, and he released my arm with a smile. He was a regular at Gloria's, and he was always very polite, starting a short conversation whenever I stopped by whatever group of people he was associating with that night.

"Robyn, do you happen to know the name of the other cigarette girl?" he asked. "The one by the door?"

"Oh, of course," I nodded. "Susannah."

"And her last name?"

"Excuse me for my directness," I began with a frown. "But why do you want to know her last name?"

"You know, just to tell my brother that I've made a few friends the next time I write to him," he said. I frowned and he continued; his voice was so…hypnotic. "You'll tell me her last name?"

"It's…it's Lennox," I replied, and then I blinked and smiled. "Is there anything else I can help you with, sir?"

"No, that's it. Thank you."

"Enjoy your night, Mr. Salvatore," I turned and walked away from the table.

* * *

><p>"You gonna get home alright, Robyn?" Johnnie asked as he sat at the bar, drinking a glass of scotch.<p>

"Of course I am; I walk home every night," I laughed, packing my things into my bag. "You're starting to sound like my sister."

"God forbid _that_," Gloria said as she walked out of the back with a large book in her hands. The club was empty now; almost everyone was gone—patrons, waiters, dancers, the band—and the only three left were Johnnie, Gloria and me. I was tired, and I wouldn't have stayed so late, but I lost track of time.

"Are you going to insult my sister now?" I asked, feigning insult.

"You were just insinuating that you're sister is a nag," she defended.

"Well, I'm allowed to," I defended. "She is _my_ sister."

"Nothing stronger than family, I guess," Johnnie mused.

"Well, I'm heading home," I sighed, picking up my bag. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Don't let the sandman get you, Robby!" Johnnie called after me as I walked down the hall toward the door.

"Uh huh," I laughed and pushed the door to walk out into the warm, summer night. The music from another speakeasy a few blocks away could be heard easily as I walked, and I rolled my eyes; if the Chicago police wanted to, they could find that club easily.

I was lost in my own sleepy thoughts as I made my way home, and as I almost got a block away from Gloria's, I jumped in surprise as a muffled shriek echoed out into the night. I kept walking until I reached a very dark alleyway, and then I could hear the distinct sound of retreating footsteps.

"Hello?" I asked, taking a few cautious steps into the alley. I could make out some old wooden crates and barrels. "Is anyone there; are you ok?" I quickly looked over my shoulder, scared; the dim streetlamps weren't giving off enough light for me to see and I wished beyond anything in the world that it was daytime.

I was about to take another step forward when a passing car briefly illuminated the alley and, before I realized what had happened, a scream erupted from my mouth. I covered both hands with my mouth.

"Oh God. No," I shook my head and closed my eyes, wishing what I had seen wasn't real. I took a shaky step backwards, and then another; it was then that my body decided that it was time for me to run. And I did. One step after another, running back to the one place I knew someone would know what to do, all the while terrible images running through my head.

Susannah sprawled out on the ground, eyes staring lifelessly up at the sky. There was blood everywhere; on the walls of the buildings that lined the alley, on her hands and on her neck and her clothes, in shallow pools on the ground. She was dead.

"Gloria!" I screamed, pounding on the door as hard as I could, tears streaming down my cheeks. I was afraid; whoever killed Susannah had to still be around somewhere, and I doubt that they would've run once they saw me. "Gloria, please open the door! Gloria!"

"Robyn?" a deep voice came from behind me, startling me. I turned on my heel and sobbed, relief suddenly washing over me. I knew I still should've been afraid, but no matter how hard I refused, I felt a sense of comfort washing over me.

"Niklaus."

* * *

><p><strong>Gloria's POV<strong>

A sweetly sour jazz tune whined softly from the radio as I stood in my office. My eyes slowly roamed over the things that sat by the wall opposite my desk: a dress rack filled with the new outfits for the dancers and cigarette girls, an old trunk filled with jars of various powders and dried herbs, and a tall book shelf stacked with old grimoires and diaries that had been passed down to me. Quick as a flash, my brain began sorting through the spells and rituals I could use to help the hybrid when he returned later on.

I sighed and rested my head against the back of my tall, leather desk chair; I didn't _want_ to help him—in fact, the spirits had whispered in my ears a good many times tonight that I should get rid of him at whatever the cost—but I couldn't take the chance of him doing something to Robyn if I refused. Robyn had been one of the only close friends I had in a long time; the few friends I_ did_ have had been somewhat guarded ever since I opened the speakeasy. Despite that my first impressions about her was that she was some sweet and naïve suburban girl, I quickly learned that she could hold her own quite well, but that didn't mean she was safe from all the dangerous things that lurked at night, be they supernatural…or simply barbaric humans.

I quickly stood up and strode over to my bookshelf, pulling a few heavy grimoires into my arms as well as two of the books I had checked out of the library weeks ago—although my ancestors were very knowledgeable when it came to the divining properties of different herbs, I had found that my botany professor was a bit better—and I left my office for the front of the club.

"Gloria!" The muffled scream caused me to jump in alarm, and surprisingly none of the heavy books in my arms had fallen to the ground. Was that—no, Robyn had gone home. "Gloria, please open the door! Gloria!" I hurried as quickly as I could down the hall and into the now-dim club, dropping my books onto the bar top, before running to the door in haste. I was surprised yet again when there was a very forceful pounding on the thick door; surely Robyn wasn't strong enough to do that.

I got to the door and quickly pushed the heavy metal latch up and then pulled the door open. There he stood, the hybrid, with a stony expression on his face and a softly sobbing Robyn in his arms.

"What happened?" I asked, my throat suddenly dry when I spotted bloodstains on her fingers, which were clutching Klaus' jacket as if he was her only anchor to the planet. "What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?" Klaus asked, his voice thick with apathy. "Are you going to let us inside; she isn't going to calm down out here."

"Uh…of course," I nodded and moved over to let them in. He led Robyn through the door and I frowned at the fragile way he was acting around her, especially since he wanted to rip into her throat just a few short days ago. I shut the heavy door and followed them into the main room. I could vaguely hear Robyn muttering "she's dead" over and over again as Klaus carefully sat her down in one of the booths.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" I asked, watching inquisitively as he rushed across the room, appearing behind the bar.

"I would," he replied, eyes quickly darting to the abandoned books. "But I'm afraid I don't know. I found her like this."

"How do I know you aren't lying?" I asked.

"If I was lying, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation." I nodded and made my way over to Robyn, who was staring idly at her fingers as she traced the patterns in the wood of the table.

"Robby," I said softly. "Are you alright?" She quickly shook her head. "Do you want me to call Emily?" She shook her head again, frantically this time.

"I don't want her to worry," she muttered.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"It's Susannah," Robyn began.

"What about her?"

"I found her when I was walking home," she replied. "You need to do something, Gloria, anything. There was so much blood."

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"Your cigarette girl, Susannah?" Klaus asked, sinking next to Robyn in the booth. "She's dead. Or, I guess she's dead; I didn't really have a chance to check."

"Dead?" I asked. Susannah had been one of the first girls I hired; she couldn't be dead. "How?"

"I don't know," Robyn shook her head. "I don't know if it was a vampire…or if…Susannah always talked about those murders in the newspaper, how she knew some of the people. I don't know and I don't want to know, but I can't get it out of my head."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair in exasperation; I didn't want to leave Robyn alone with _him_ but I needed to see if what she saw was real, or if her eyes had played a trick on her.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to cry again as Gloria got up and left, her words practically white noise in my ears; Susannah had only left the club a few minutes before I had and I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that she was dead. I had felt the same way when my cousin passed away in the year previous, but this was worse…much worse, because I knew that she must've been in so much pain. I wanted to get the images out of my mind, and I was about to cover my face with my hands, but then I saw the blood on my fingertips; had I touched the rough, blood-stained wall in the alley as I stumbled to run back to Gloria's?

"Oh God," I sighed and I began to rub my hands together, hoping beyond anything that the blood would disappear somehow.

"Here," Niklaus carefully took one of my hands in his and put a glass filled halfway with an amber liquid into it. "Drink it."

"What is it?" I asked, looking over at him with a frown.

"It'll make you feel better," he insisted. "Please." I slowly lifted the glass to my lips and hesitantly drank; I slammed the glass onto the table as the liquid burned down my throat, leaving a terrible taste in my mouth.

"What the hell was that, Klaus?" I exclaimed, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand. "What are you trying to do to me?" He chuckled softly and took the glass, finishing off the amber liquid in one quick gulp.

"Scotch," he shrugged. "Not the best…but I thought it would be best to calm you down a little."

"There's more of it that's _worse_?" I asked, staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. I shuddered inwardly at the thought but quickly got distracted as I began to wring my hands together, my gaze focused on my fingers as they twisted with each other.

"Stop that," Klaus scolded, taking my hands in his, one of his arms casually resting around my waist. "You need to calm down."

"I can't," I muttered distantly. "How would you feel if you found one of your friends dead—murdered—in some alley?"

"I don't have any friends," he replied. "I can't imagine how it would feel."

"What if you found me?" I asked hesitantly. "I'm…something like a friend, I guess."

"That isn't going to happen," Klaus said, his voice bordering a growl. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

"How?" I frowned. "How can you promise something like that? How can _anyone_ promise that? Nobody can be everywhere at once."

"You're a quick one, aren't you, little Robyn?" he asked, smirking down at me. "Must be all the books you read."

"How do you know how many books I read?" I asked. Klaus was silent for a few moments, his unreadable, piercing eyes staring at me unblinkingly. I stared back, wondering how he could be so…gentle now when he seemed like such a cold person before; of course, my wonderings were cut short as I yawned, the long night suddenly catching up to me.

"Come on," he said, standing up suddenly. "I'm taking you home."

"Why?" I asked, watching curiously as he lifted my bag off of the table.

"I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you, and despite the fact you pointed out that it is impossible, I don't want you to walk home alone," Klaus looked down at the ground and then back up at me, then he a hand out for me to take. I stared at him and then hesitantly took his hand, hoping that my action didn't indicate my fear to be alone right now.

"I don't know why you bother with me," I said softly as he led me toward the door.

"I_ "_bother with you" because I like you," he replied in the same soft tone, a small smile gracing his lips. "And you made me realize that it's time to find myself a friend."

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

"How come you're a cigarette girl?" I asked as we walked. When we first set off of Robyn's building, Robyn insisted on talking. _"It's the only way I can keep myself awake,_" she had insisted. So, back and forth we went, asking questions; while I was more…reserved with my answers, Robyn was very open with hers, passionately describing her family and the small town she considered as a sort of cage, but the only place she'd ever consider home. I had been very amused at her when I relented in telling her about my own family, although I was very vague about everyone but Rebekah; she had gone wide-eyed when I told her the "frightening girl" as she put it, was my sister, but she soon shrugged it off and said she could see the resemblance.

With every passing moment I spent in Robyn's company, I began to see that she wasn't a damsel or a hero or similar to any of the characters from the books she claimed to love; Robyn wasn't a complicated creature whose life was haunted by blood and destruction and danger, and I felt somewhat guilty that she had been dragged into it. Robyn Costello was simple, and I found that to be the most beautiful, intriguing thing about her.

"Gloria needed a cigarette girl and it sounded like it would be fun," Robyn finally replied after taking a few quite moments of contemplation. She was silent again, looking down at her feet as we continued to walk; there was an air of despair around her again, one that had slowly faded as our conversation progressed. I silently kicked myself for bringing up a topic that would have her thinking about Susannah; I quickly took her hand in mine and squeezed it comfortingly.

"I'm sure you could catch everyone's eye if you sang," I said, changing the topic. "It would give Gloria a bit of a break."

"Two problems. One, I don't like to be the center of attention," she began.

"Which is why you became a cigarette girl who wears outfits that are considered scandalous?" I teased with a smirk

"And two," she continued, ignoring my comment. "I don't sing."

"You don't or you can't?" I asked.

"Don't," she shook her head.

"So you're bad?"

"I didn't say that either. It just never was my thing," Robyn told me matter-of-factly.

"Why aren't you a dancer then?" I asked, and I raised an eyebrow when she took a very long pause.

"I can't dance."

"Can't or don't?"

"Can't!" Robyn exclaimed, blushing furiously in embarrassment. I fought the urge to smirk, but in the end I lost. "Why aren't _you_ a dancer?" she retorted, slightly frustrated.

"I don't fit in the costume, sweetheart," I replied cheekily.

"What _do _you do then?" she asked. "You're not a dancer, you're not a student, you're not—" She quickly looked around. "You're not human. What do you do with all of your time?"

"You know, being a vampire takes up a lot of my time," I told her truthfully, although I did leave one _very_ big detail. Technically I was a vampire, since my werewolf side was locked up because of the curse, and I was working—or at least contemplating—every possible way of breaking the curse now that the moonstone and the doppelganger had vanished, both never to be seen again.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Robyn asked, standing before me with concern on her face. I didn't realize that I had stopped in my tracks as I was thinking. "Are you alright? You look lost…broken."

"I…" I paused and frowned. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes, I just got a little sidetracked," I forced a smile. "Don't worry about it." Robyn nodded and we continued to walk silently, her small, warm hand still clasped tightly in mine; I wouldn't have noticed that she had stopped if I hadn't felt the light tug on my hand as I walked. I turned around and Robyn nodded her head towards the building we were standing in front of. I stood there for a few silent moments, staring at her in contemplation.

"I could take it away, you know," I told her, wondering why I was even offering; I could've made her forget what she saw easily.

"Take what away?" she asked with a frown.

"Everything that happened tonight," I replied. "You shouldn't have seen your friend that way."

"No matter how much I want that, it's not like it'll do any good," Robyn laughed dryly, looking up at the building. "My sister says I have nightmares every night."

"Nightmares?"

"Never mind; I'll be fine," she shrugged and took a step closer to me. "Thank you for walking me home, Niklaus; it was very thoughtful of you." She leaned up on her toes with some effort, seeing as she was very petite, and gently kissed my cheek. She backed away from me with a small smile and pulled a set of keys from her bag. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I nodded and turned on my heel, ready to go back to Gloria's with the intent I had before the evening's events played out; the thoughts of the curse and the ritual, though, were the furthest from my mind.

**A/N: I'm so bad, I know. Good news: I did amazing on my finals (all A's, even in Calculus, which I thought I would fail miserably.) and I've been feeling great! I've been writing as much as I could, and eventually—after I really disliked my previous draft for this chapter—it's finally done!**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Am I going too slow with Robyn and Klaus' relationship? Is Robyn a relatable, realistic character? Let me know your questions, comments or concerns. Leave a review and you will get you a preview of the next chapter, which I promise will come sooner than this one did. Review! Until Next Time!**


	8. New Friends

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Robyn's POV**

"How does the yellow one fit, Em?" I asked through the thick partition.

"It's…alright," Emily sighed. "I don't like the lace; I feel like I should be wearing pigtails or something."

"Do you want me to look for something else?" I waited, rolling my eyes at my sister's silence.

"Could you?" she asked sheepishly.

"I'll be right back." _My sister_, I thought, shaking my head slowly as I made my way back to the rows of dresses on display in the little shop. Emily was always like this, even when we were younger; she was incredibly indecisive. I didn't expect her to do this for something as simple as Sunday dinner back home with our parents, but to my disbelief, we had already wasted our Saturday morning at the dress shop.

I scanned over the various dresses, dresses I had looked over meticulously when I was looking for my own dress—which took me only 20 minutes to decide on, I'd like to mention—and I ran through a mental list of things my sister was picky about while trying to find something that would also look nice on her.

My eyes landed on a delicate dress that had been dyed a soft, almost-purple, shade of blue. I carefully lifted it down from the garment rack and examined it closely, taking in the detailed beadwork done on the wide sash over the waist. _Hmm…_

I turned around and was about to bring it over to Emily so she could see how it fit on her, but I, in my trademark lack of coordination, ran into someone, effectively knocking us both to the ground.

"Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry," I apologized quickly, pushing myself off the ground.

"No matter," a light, foreign-yet-familiar sounding voice replied. "It was my fault." I brushed myself off as I picked the dress off the floor, and then looked up to find myself face-to-face with Niklaus' sister.

"You're Robyn," she stated.

"Uh-huh," I nodded. "You must be Rebekah." I frowned and tried to stifle a laugh when I noticed what she was wearing. "Forgive my…bluntness, but are you wearing trousers?"

Rebekah looked down at herself, arms extending out to the sides slightly; she looked up at me with a smirk.

"I suppose I am," she shrugged. "I've been getting dirty looks all day; I came in here half-tempted to buy another dress aside from the one I wanted to buy just so people wouldn't whisper and laugh."

"I'm not laughing _at_ you," I quickly said. "It is…daring, but I don't think the fit is right. It makes you look…" I waved my hand in the air, looking for the right word. "Bloated."

"Ugh," she groaned and grasped my wrist, pulling me along with her towards a large mirror by the dressing rooms. "I had a hell of a time fixing these to fit my waist too," Rebekah complained, looking at her reflection in disgust; she looked over at me and then snickered. "I sort of…borrowed them from Nik after he got a few suits tailored. He wouldn't stop complaining."

"I can imagine," I said with smile.

"I don't want this getting back to him," she pointed at me in a threatening way. "Just because you're his little girlfriend."

"G-girlfriend?" I asked, my cheeks burning slightly. "I'm not—"

"Skittery little thing, aren't you?" Rebekah laughed. "I'm only joking; doesn't shut up about you, though. It's like he finally broke the—" She paused. "But that doesn't matter…you looked like you could use a new friend a few weeks ago, even if that friend can kill you in the blink of an eye."

There was an awkward pause and I stared at the ceiling, unsure if there was a way to continue a conversation after…well, after _that_.

"That's a very pretty color," Rebekah said, quickly changing the subject, and nodded toward the dress in my hands. "It isn't flattering on most people…but it would probably be good on you."

"Oh, it isn't for me; it's for my sister, Emily." I gestured in the direction of the dressing rooms. "She wanted to get a new dress for family dinner tomorrow. Last minute shopping, you know." Rebekah got a far off look in her eye, a glint of sadness hidden behind the stony front she forced.

"It sounds like you both enjoy those types of things," she said with a small frown. I nodded. "I can't remember the last time my family has even been in the same room together…"

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I shook my head, remembering what Klaus had said about his family being distant. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Don't be silly," she replied, waving her hand lazily as she fumbled with her necklace with the other hand. Rebekah pulled a dress off one of the racks and held it up to her, scrunching her nose at it. "It doesn't really matter."

"Well—"

"Oh, Robby!" Emily's voice interrupted me and I turned to see her pushing through the partition to the dressing room. "You can put that dress away. I'm going to get the pink one." She heaved a bunch of dresses onto an empty garment rack and then pulled off the green dress I had chosen and the pink one Emily had chosen, despite the fact that she said she wanted to burn almost a half-hour ago.

"Alright," I sighed, rolling my eyes at her. Some days I wondered if insanity ran in the family; today was one of those days.

"And I hate to rush, especially when you've made a new friend," she beamed in the way a mother would when their only child had a friend that wasn't imaginary—yeah, Emily was going to be a great mother—then continued. "But we need to meet Greg for lunch in an hour."

"Sure," I nodded. Emily smiled again and then walked towards the shopkeeper to pay for the dresses. Once she was out of earshot, Rebekah burst into laughter.

"Oh God," she gasped. "She's horrible. That's your sister?"

"Yes," I nodded. "Trust me, though, she's never like that. Usually, Emily's much more…sane?"

"I certainly hope so," Rebekah replied. "That's what we get for being the youngest, though; obsessive, overprotective older siblings." She frowned for a second and then held her hand out. "If you're not going to get that dress, I might as well give it a go."

"You're the youngest in your family?" I asked, handing the dress to her.

"Well…almost. I had a younger brother…but I was the only daughter, so my brothers were always picking on me and teasing me. They cared, though; once, when I was fifteen, I cut my hand on a sharp rock and you would've thought I was going to die from the way they acted when they saw I was bleeding." Rebekah tilted her head to the side and then turned to me. "What do you think; the white one or the blue one?"

"They have their own merits…why not both?" I asked and she smirked.

"I knew there was a reason to like you," she replied. I noticed a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye and when I looked, I found my sister waving me over. "Looks like _mother_ wants to go. I'll see you around at Gloria's."

"Goodbye," I smiled and walked towards Emily. As we walked out of the store, I couldn't help but laugh as Emily began to chatter.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Don't worry," I giggled. "You wouldn't want to know."

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

Saturday nights at Gloria's were always more full than any other night of the week. It was rare to get a table, and when you did, you never abandoned it. That's what I felt like just now, as Rebekah went to get drinks from the bar, a spot holder. We had been lucky to get a booth close to the stage, one usually occupied by the bigger groups, and as much as I would have liked to get my drink myself, I had to stay here.

For lack of a better thing to occupy my time, I found my eyes slowly roaming over the entire club; if one were to observe me, they would think that I was committing everyone to memory, but in fact, I was looking for one familiar face.

"Whiskey," Rebekah's voice caused him to jump in surprise. He scowled and looked at the drink she had brought for him. "It's better than that bootlegged stuff you have at home." Rebekah told him, taking a drink from her own glass of champagne.

"Hmm." I nodded in approval as I tasted it. "It is."

"I saw her earlier today," Rebekah said after a few moments of silence.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Your little human friend, Robyn." I stared at her blankly for a few moments. "Oh don't give me that look," she scolded. "It isn't difficult to tell that you've been looking for her."

"I wasn't looking for her," I lied. "I was…people watching."

"Anyways, I saw her at the dress shop this morning," my sister continued. "She's quite…intriguing, I'll give you that. Somewhat nervous, though."

"Is she? I didn't notice." I said sarcastically. Rebekah shrugged and turned away from me to look around the room. "What is it?"

"Nothing," she sighed. "It isn't as if you'll listen to me anyways."

"Bekah."

"You're going to corrupt that girl." She snapped. "She has so much to live for…and she'll end up dying at your hand, Nik."

"It's nice to see how much faith you have in me, little sister," I scoffed.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

"Did you catch last night's ball game, doll face?" one of the men at the table asked as I took money from one of his poker buddies for a pack of cigarettes.

"Most of it. The announcer had a bit of a cold, so the first few innings were terrible," I replied with a smile. "The Cubs still have one more game at St. Louis to redeem themselves."

"They'll definitely bring their game up when they play the Phillies on Tuesday," he said with assuredness.

"Why didn't you ever mention that you're a fan of baseball before?" another one asked while shuffling the deck of cards in his hands.

"I never had the chance," I laughed. "You boys are always trying to wrangle me into playing poker. You especially Mr. Williams," I said pointedly.

"You know we'd take it easy on you," he said bashfully.

"Oh really?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips. "Would you really underestimate a girl who likes baseball?" A round of enthusiastic shouts and whistles circulated the table and the man blushed heavily.

"Have fun with your cards, boys," I said, turning around so I could go to the next table. I didn't get very far as I ran into someone, causing them to stumble backwards into the railing that separated the lower section of Gloria's from the upper section. I closed my eyes for a split second and groaned in frustration; the stupid cigarette tray always jutted out just a little too much, and despite having almost a month of practice walking around with it, I still hadn't gotten the feel of it yet, especially since I didn't walk around with it at the library.

"Oh my," I exclaimed, my cheeks hot. "Are you alright?"

"Yes fine," my _victim_ chuckled, picking himself up from the floor. I felt infinitely worse when he looked up at me after dusting himself off.

"Oh, Mr. Salvatore, are you sure?" I continued. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. No harm done," he insisted. "Just a little shock is all. I suppose it woke me up a little; I've been finding myself sleeping later and later due to my late nights here. I haven't gotten over last night's festivities, so I should be thanking you."

"Is there anything I can interest you in, this evening?" I asked. "Cigarettes, cigars, candy? I even have freshly cut roses." I said, picking a white one off my tray to offer to him. "On the house of course, as an apology."

"I couldn't," he shook his head.

"It would contrast greatly with your suit Mr. Salvatore. Please, I insist."

"Alright," he nodded, smiling deviously. "If you insist."

I reached over and carefully pinned the rose to his lapel, the trimmed stem hidden nicely, and the petals contrasting with the black fabric, as I had said.

"There," I said, smiling at my work. I looked up to his face and my smile faltered for a brief moment; at the corner of his mouth, staining his lips a deep red, was a smeared droplet of blood. I cleared my throat uncomfortably as I tried not to panic. "Perfect."

"Well thank you very much, Robyn," he replied. "I'll cherish it dearly. Now, I'm going to go and find myself some champagne; you have a good night." He patted my cheek twice affectionately, like Greg did when he called me "kid," and walked away, disappearing in the growing crowd.

I was lost in my thoughts for quite a while after that, only breaking free from the trance when one of the patrons stopped me to buy something. Stefan Salvatore was a vampire? No. He couldn't be, he was so polite. Then again, Klaus turned out to be nicer company than he was when I first encountered him.

The dance floor began crowding with people as Gloria took her place on stage and began crooning a beautifully slow, romantic tune. I made my way up to the practically deserted bar and sat down, carefully unstrapping the tray to place it onto the bartop. I usually took my break right around now, sitting at the bar so I could listen to the band play, or Gloria sing.

"I don't think Gloria would appreciate you slacking on the job," a smooth voice broke the silence of the room. I turned my head away from the stage and rolled my eyes when I found Klaus leaning against the bar with his arms crossed across his chest, that annoying smirk on his lips.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

"I'm on a break," Robyn laughed.

"So you won't mind if I join you then?" I asked, sitting down beside her. Rebekah had spent almost an hour dancing with some human she claimed would be "delicious," but returned to the table furiously muttering; I knew better than to stay in the line of fire. I thanked whatever Gods were looking down on me when I spotted Robyn walking toward the bar and quickly made my escape.

"Are you going to trick me into drinking scotch again?" she asked with a small smile.

"What kind of friend would I be if I did that?" I asked in return. "Shame on you for thinking so little of me, Robby."

We were silent for a few minutes; Robyn watched Gloria sing, and I watched her. Aside from slight rise and fall of her chest, she was as still as a statue; I frowned and kept watching. A lock of hair came loose from the clip that was holding it up and fell into her eyes; she didn't even blink. After years of observing and hunting humans, I had noticed their little twitches and movements, but as I watched Robyn, I didn't see any of those things. Even vampires had trouble sitting still, thanks to the temptation of blood.

Before I realized what I was doing, I had softly flicked her arm.

"What—" Robyn grabbed her arm and frowned at me. "What did you do that for?"

"You weren't moving," I replied quickly.

"And that…bothered you?" she asked.

"No. It's just odd," I replied.

"So you flicked me…because I'm odd," she stated. "Is that it?"

"I…yes, I suppose." I sighed. "I'm sorry?"

"You're the odd one," she commented. "Flicking unsuspecting girls because they aren't moving."

"I said I was sorry," I laughed. "I don't see what the fuss is about." Robyn stared at me blankly and the reached over and flicked me in the arm.

"There," she smirked. "Now we're even."

"You know, you shouldn't have done that," I told her, feeling devious.

"And why not?" she asked. I pushed her hair off her shoulder and leaned so close that my nose lightly brushed over her jaw. I inhaled deeply, my bloodlust growing at the scent of her blood and the sound of her heartbeat quickening, and then moved up so my lips brushed against the shell of her ear.

"Because I'm dangerous sweetheart," I whispered.

"I thought you promised not to let anything happen to me?" she whispered in return. I backed away from her and smirked at the redness of her cheeks.

"My smart little bird," I chuckled. "Knows how to get herself out of a dangerous situation."

"I knew you weren't going to…" she hesitated. "You know."

"Oh really?" I asked. "So you aren't afraid of me?"

"Nope," she replied quickly, shaking her head.

"You sure about that?" I asked. "Because your heart is beating at an astonishing rate; I think that says otherwise." Robyn took a breath and was about to reply when a loud applause from the dance floor stopped her. We both looked in that direction and found that Gloria's performance was over and most of the dancers were moving back to their tables.

"Well look at that," she said, picking her tray up. "Break's over."

I grabbed her wrist as she walked past me and she stopped.

"Don't think that I'll forget about this conversation, Robby," I told her, my thumb caressing the skin right above the prominent vein.

"I don't," she said.

"Until we meet again, then," I concluded, lifting her hand up and brushing my lips against her skin. She pulled her hand out of my grasp with a smile and then wove through the crowd heading for the bar.

I turned to the barman and motioned for a drink as a realization dawned on my; Rebekah was right.

**A/N:** **I'm back. And you do not know how painful it was to write this chapter. I guess after leaving it hanging for months has shorted the creativity juice, and I had to kick start it a little with this chapter. Actually, I had some trouble with it before I even abandoned it. Oh well. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. Questions, comments, concerns? Leave a review and let me know; in return, you will get a preview of the next chapter. Until next time, my friends.**


	9. Taste

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Robyn's POV**

"I hate to say it but you are the life of this place tonight, Robyn," Rebekah remarked as she observed the club. "This is why I hate going out on a Monday." I knew she was right; Monday nights were usually the slowest of the entire week. Most of the club goers got so sick from the amount of drinking they did on Sunday night that they couldn't return until Tuesday. Regardless, Gloria's was still packed, but much more quiet than what was expected; tonight the band could be heard prominently over the lull of conversations.

Rebekah had sought me out as soon as I stepped out from the back, tired and ready to go home. Apparently, she couldn't stand the conversation that was circulating through the group of men and women she was sitting with, and despite my desire to go home, I ended up sitting with her for a short while because she felt I was more entertaining than the otherhumans. She had been extremely persuasive.

"At least the music's good," I pointed out.

"The music is _always_ good here," Rebekah replied. "That's why I don't go to that speakeasy down the street; everything is much better here. Music, liquor…" she paused. She looked over my shoulder and a smile graced her features. "…Company." I followed her gaze and spotted Stefan Salvatore walk in with a bunch of his buddies.

"Company?" I teased, looking back at her. "Do you have a crush on Mr. Salvatore, Rebekah?"

"A crush?" she scoffed, smile vanishing, and picked up her champagne. "Please. He's a pain in my side; he's too young and arrogant for my tastes anyways."

"Young?" I frowned in confusion.

"Did my brother _conveniently_ forget to tell you how old we are?" Rebekah laughed. "We're almost a thousand years old."

"Excuse me?" I asked unbelievably.

"Mmhmm," she smirked. "Stefan Salvatore may be older than he looks, but compared to us, he is like a child."

"What about me?" I asked. "I'm only 21." Rebekah suddenly looked apologetic, then smiled again.

"But you see, you're _good_ company, which makes up for it," she replied. "If I had a choice, I'd rather spend an entire evening with you than five seconds with him."

"Thanks."

"Your welcome," she smiled. "Now, I'm off to get more champagne; would you like a glass?"

"Oh, no thank you," I shook my head.

"Your too polite Robyn," Rebekah laughed. "I'll soon change that."

"Something to look forward to, I guess?"

"Definitely," she nodded and walked towards the bar. I stifled a yawn; I hadn't gotten much sleep last night after coming back from Sunday dinner at home with Greg, Emily and our parents. It was a long, exhausting night, but when we got back to the apartment—at three in the morning—I kept tossing and turning thanks to Emily's notion that mother knew we were hiding something. Why did she always—

"Excuse me," a deep voice caught my attention and I realized I had been staring at a chandelier in thought for what probably was quite some time. I cleared my throat and focused on the young man who was standing in front of the booth, looking somewhat bashful. He was incredible handsome, with dark brown hair that flopped onto his forehead somewhat and deep green eyes; as our eyes met, he blushed, which caused me to blush as well.

"Sorry," I apologized. "I was thinking."

"That's alright," he nodded. "I was just wondering…would you like to dance?" I was shocked; no one had ever asked me to dance before. No one. Ever. Not at any of the weddings I had ever been to, and definitely not here. He began stuttering in uncertainty. "O-of course, you don't have to if you don't want to."

"I'd love to," I replied.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

I walked into Gloria's calmly, despite having just endured what I could possibly consider the worst two hours of my life. Not only did Gloria tell me that I couldn't break the hybrid curse without a living human doppelganger or the moonstone, she also told me that she couldn't locate where Katerina had taken the moonstone and hid it before…before she perished in that shit hole, Mystic Falls.

Perhaps I was destined to stay like this forever? Cursed. Unfulfilled. Alone.

"Look who finally decided to join the party," Rebekah said as I approached the booth she was sitting in. "What took you so long?"

"It doesn't matter," I scoffed, sitting down.

"Oh it does," she laughed. "There's someone going after your girl."

"What?" I asked with a frown.

"Robyn," she clarified.

"That doesn't help, Bekah," I said. "Please, elaborate."

"Why don't you see for yourself," Rebekah replied, motioning down towards the dance floor. I turned my head and found what she had been talking about; I forced myself to stifle a growl that built up in my throat.

In the middle of the dance floor, swaying back and forth, was Robyn, dancing with some man. A human, no less. They were talking softly as they danced, laughing every so often, and it was making me sick.

"You're going to have to step up your game, Nik," Rebekah said, gaining my attention once again.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh please," she scoffed. "Don't act like you don't fancy her; it's a surprise that she can't see it for herself."

"Just the other day you were telling me that she was going to die by my hand. That I was going to corrupt her."

"Change of heart, I guess," Rebekah shrugged. "You'll just have to catch her when she falls." I frowned and turned back to look at the dance floor.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

I loved shelving books. Emily thought I was completely mad when I ranted on and on about it once at dinner, but it was amazing. I had found hundreds of textbooks and pamphlets and novels that caught my attention over the month and a half I had been here; they were things I would never have found if I was just looking around. I would've never thought to look on the top shelves, especially since I was so…well, short.

Today was one of those days. I had climbed up the ladder to reach the top shelf in order to shelve when I spotted a small, orange novel sitting on the edge of the shelf, most likely discarded by one of the visitors. I was about to find where it belonged when the title caught my eye.

I smiled and grabbed the book, careful not to miss any of the rungs as I climbed back down to the ground.

"Good morning Robyn." I would've jumped at the sound of his voice, but I knew it, and him, well enough by now that I didn't. I turned around and crossed my arms over my chest when I found a smiling Klaus, leaning casually against the bookshelf behind him, hands in his jacket pockets innocently.

"Good morning," I replied. "Have you come to bother me at work again?"

"Yes and no," he replied deviously. We stood there silently for a few moments, him smirking, as I stared at him expectantly for an explanation.

"I hope you realize that, as much as I'd love a social visit, I have things to do," I said, motioning to the cart full of books sitting beside the ladder. "What are you doing here?" Klaus laughed heartily.

"I've come to whisk you away on an adventure," he said.

"What kind of adventure?" I asked suspiciously.

"I happen to have two tickets to this afternoon's Cubs game; Rebekah has gone shopping today, again, and when I thought of who else I could take," he smiled, "you were the first one to come to mind."

"You want to take me to a baseball game?" I asked, dumbstruck.

"Yes."

"Today?"

"Yes." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small envelope. "I have the tickets right here. You just have to say you'll come."

"I think you've forgotten something," I told him, motioning to the bookshelves. "I have work to do."

"Just tell them you're leaving for the day," Klaus replied nonchalantly. "And then we'll go."

"I-I can't just _tell them _I'm leaving," I stammered. "There are certain days when I don't have to come in; today isn't one of them. Thank you for the invitation, but I'm afraid I have to decline." I turned away from him and slowly began pushing the cart further down the aisle.

"Robby," Klaus groaned as he followed me. "You aren't any fun; I hope you know that."

"I have a responsibility," I said as I turned a corner. "I can't just drop it because you want to have fun."

"Well…this is just unacceptable," I heard him mutter. Suddenly, there was a gust of wind that blew the skirt of my dress around and I stopped; when I turned around, he had vanished.

"Klaus!" I said as loudly as I could without disturbing the atmosphere of the library. "Niklaus, where are you?" Before I knew it, my cart had disappeared and I was standing all alone. "Oh…damn it," I cursed.

"That's a first." This time, I did jump at the sound of his voice. "I've never heard you utter a bad word before."

"What is wrong with you!" I exclaimed.

"Nothing," he shrugged casually. "I just had a little _chat_ with some of your coworkers, as well as your supervisor; as it turns out, you weren't even supposed to come in today. Imagine their surprise when they found out you were here." He smirked.

"What did you do?" I asked, knowing that smirk of his didn't mean anything good.

"I'm ashamed that you would even think I did something," he replied, feigning bewilderment. He just smirked again and took my hand gently in his. "Now, will you reconsider my offer?" I closed my eyes and let my thoughts simmer for a few seconds.

"Alright," I sighed. "I'll go with you."

"Brilliant," he exclaimed, yanking me along as he started towards the exit. "The game starts in an hour; we should just about make it."

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

"Have you ever been to a baseball game before?" I asked about halfway through, looking over at Robyn who was watching the field intently.

"Yes, but never a Cubs game," she replied. "My father took me to a few Sox games over the years, especially last year. But he hates the Cubs—something about 1906, I never paid much attention—so I was always forced to read about them in the newspaper, and more recently, listen to them on the radio. What about you?"

"Once or twice," I frowned. "My younger brother is a fan."

"So you went with him?" Robyn asked, turning to face me with a smile.

"No…" I shook my head grimly, recalling the time I attempted to dagger Kol in Boston. "Not in the sense you're thinking."

"Oh," Robyn muttered.

"Today's a day of firsts though," I quickly said, trying to get her mind off of such a morbid topic, one I didn't want to discuss with her. "Your first Cubs game, my first _hot dog_, and I'm very tempted to try Cracker Jack." Robyn laughed and turned her attention back to the game.

I, on the other hand, kept my gaze on her. She looked…stunning; cheeks flushed from cheering, eyes bright, hair pulled over one shoulder, unknowingly giving me a view of her neck. It wasn't difficult to keep my bloodlust at bay, but she was very tempting in other ways. Seeing her dancing with that man had irked me for days; _I_ hadn't even danced with her yet. A part of me wanted to rip the man apart, and another was kicking me in the ass, wondering why I hadn't thought to ask first.

Robyn. Such a beautiful, simple girl. Aside from Rebekah, I was alone and forever would be, especially now that Gloria had shed light on the inability to break the curse. And then there was Robyn. I had spent a fair amount of time pestering her, but she always referred to me as a friend. It pulled at my still heart to see her eyes brighten when she spotted me at Gloria's. The time I spent waiting for the chance to taste her blood had been exhilarating, and every moment I spent in her company after that was utterly…sublime. Rebekah was right; I did fancy her, and as I watched her cheer along with the crowd I decided that, eventually, she would be mine.

"Are you alright?" Robyn asked, turning to face me, concern deep in her eyes.

"Of course I am," I said, smiling at her. "Just thinking."

"Are you sure?"

"Completely." She nodded in response and took my hand, squeezing it slightly; there was a small smile playing on her lips.

* * *

><p>It was still bright out when we walked out of Cubs Park and down the sidewalk to find my car among the sea of Model Ts parked along the street.<p>

"I know this drugstore a few blocks from here," I said. "They make a very good butterscotch float."

"I didn't take you as a person who would set food at a soda shop," Robyn laughed.

"I don't understand why," I frowned. "I'm no different from any other person you might come across—"

"Except that you've been alive for hundreds of years and you drink blood," she whispered cheekily.

"I never took you to judge a book by its cover, Robby."

"Actually, I have to do that every day."

"So," I ignored her last comment as we got to the car. "Ice cream?"

"Fine," she relented. "Since you're calling all the shots today." Robyn smiled and walked around the car.

One second, I was opening the door to get in, and then next, there was a surprised cry and a dull thud; the scent of blood suddenly saturated the air. I quickly rushed around the car to find Robyn pushing herself off the ground.

"What happened?" I asked, helping her up.

"I tripped," she replied bashfully. "There was glass on the road."

"Let me see," I said. Robyn winced as I took her hand in mine; there was a large, jagged piece of glass embedded in the side of her hand. Blood was slowly dripping from the cut, staining my fingers. "It's not that bad," I lied.

"I'm always tripping over my own feet," she took a sharp breath as I touched the glass. "Emily said she was surprised I can stand on my own without simply falling over."

"That wasn't very nice of her," I replied.

"She's right, though." Robyn frowned. I tried pulling the glass out but Robyn grabbed my wrist to stop me. "Don't. It hurts."

"I have to," I told her. "Don't look at it; look at me. It won't hurt so much." She nodded at looked me in the eye, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Ready? One, two, three." I swiftly pulled the glass out and dropped it back onto the ground as Robyn cried out in pain, clamping her eyes shut.

"Still hurt," she hissed. I clamped my hand over hers for pressure as she began bleeding more, but I could still feel her blood seeping through my fingers. I removed my hand and made her put pressure on it instead; I quickly picked her up in my arms and looked around. I rushed down the street and into the nearest alley where no one could see us.

"What—" Robyn looked around in confusion as I put her down. "Where are we?"

"Don't worry," I assured her, removing my jacket and tossing it over a crate. I quickly rolled up my sleeve. "I'm taking care of you." I quickly bit my wrist and offered it to her; she shut her eyes and reluctantly pressed her lips against the cut to drink. After a few seconds, she brought her uninjured hand up and pushed my arm away.

"You didn't have to do that," she said, looking over her hand in wonder as the wound healed. "I would've been fine."

"Yes, but then you would've gotten blood in my car," I teased. She looked up at me and smiled. There was a small drop of blood that had left a trail from the corner of her mouth; I quickly wiped it away with my thumb and looked her in the eye. "You're a sloppy drinker."

"I'm sorry, but unlike some, I don't drink blood for sustenance," she replied. I laughed as I put my jacket back on, then pulled a handkerchief out of my pocket; I use it to wipe the blood off of her hands, and then off mine. I was about to toss it away, but instead I placed it back in my pocket.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

The blood had made me incredibly drowsy, so Klaus offered to take me home. The ride home was pleasant; we just talked on the way. Nothing remarkable, but just little things; I can hardly remember. He parked in front of my building and turned to face me.

"Here we are," he said with a bittersweet smile. "End of the line."

"Would you like to come in for some lemonade?" I asked. "We get an ice delivery every day, so it'll be cold."

"As tempting as that sounds, I'll have to decline," he replied. "I should probably get back home to see how much damage Rebekah did with her shopping."

"Alright," I nodded, a strange clutching feeling of disappointment blossoming in my chest.

"I'll walk you inside, though," Klaus offered. "To make sure you don't trip on anything else and hurt yourself again; how does that sound?"

"Great," I smiled, and the feeling disappeared immediately.

When we reached Emily's and my apartment, it turned out that his assistance was needed; my foot caught on one of the steps on the way up and I would've fell, had he not been there to catch me.

"You really are hopeless," Klaus had teased afterwards. I couldn't stop blushing from embarrassment.

"I had a wonderful time," I said with a smile as I fumbled through my small clutch purse for my key.

"Really?" Klaus smirked. "I was half expecting you to scold me again for hijacking you from the library today. This, though, is a very pleasant surprise, I have to say."

"Is that what you think of me?" I asked. "That I'm…"

"Boring?" he offered.

"I was going to say contained," I guffawed.

"That works too."

"Anyways, I did have fun today," I continued on my original train of thought. "So thank you. For everything." I leaned up and softly kissed his cheek. As I pulled back, I felt his hand on my arm, keeping me in place. He inhaled deeply and leaned forward, his nose slightly brushing against mine, his lips hovering so close to mine that I could feel his breath.

"I'm glad," he muttered softly. He took my chin in his hand and kissed me. I inhaled sharply through my nose and dropped my clutch and my keys, because however much my heart hoped he would, I was still surprised that he actually _kissed me_. He backed away ever so slightly and when I opened my eyes, I found him staring down at me with a hazy, gleeful gaze.

"How many times have you been kissed?" he asked.

"Before this?" He nodded. "Never."

"My sweet, innocent little bird," he smirked and swiftly caught my lips again.

"Robyn?" Emily's voice suddenly reached my ears and I jumped away Klaus as if he was made of fire. I turned around, shocked to find my sister standing at the top of the stairs, mouth hanging open in shock.

**A/N: Another chapter! And they kissed. The handkerchief thing was a little…stalker-y, I'll have to admit, but that and the glass thing may or may not be a precursor to later events. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are always appreciated, and they still get you a preview of the next chapter. Let me know what you thought of this chapter. Questions, comments, concerns, anything!**

***Fun fact, Wrigley Field was named Cubs Park from 1920-1926. I do my homework!**

**See you next time!**


	10. Craving

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Robyn's POV**

Emily's mouth opened and closed like a fish's and I was sure her eyes would pop out of their sockets if they gotten any wider.

"Em?" I asked cautiously. "Are you alright?" She looked down at the floor momentarily and then back up at me with a deadly calm expression; her gaze darted over to Klaus, then back at me before she replied.

"Fine," she choked out. "Just fine."

"Alright," I nodded slowly. I felt a gentle touch on my arm and I turned my head to face Klaus, who was trying to stifle a smile.

"Perhaps it's best if I go now," he whispered. I looked back at Emily, suddenly feeling quite afraid.

"Yeah..." I agreed. "I think that would be...yeah."

"See you at Gloria's," he said with an amused smirk. He hesitated for a second and then placed a chaste kiss on my lips before stalking off towards the stairs, carefully sidestepping my sister as he went. I could feel my face burn as he disappeared, leaving me alone with Emily.

"Em, I—" I began, but was immediately silenced as my sister raised a single finger. Everything was silent until we heard the faint sound of the door closing and a car starting outside. Emily sighed and walked to the apartment door, unlocking it to let herself in.

I quickly picked up my momentarily forgotten keys and clutch and followed her into our apartment, carefully shutting the door behind me when I spotted her pacing in the living room.

"I...I am very disappointed in you, Robyn," she said, wringing her hands together as she paced. "You should know better than to kiss a stranger in such a public place."

"A stranger?" I frowned. "Emily, he's not—"

"This is the sort of thing that mother was afraid of when we convinced her to let you move in with me," she continued, ignoring me entirely.

"Mother worries too much, Emily."

"First it was Gloria's," she sighed. "I should've put a stop to it when I had a chance. And now it's getting worse."

"Emily!" I exclaimed, grabbing her arms to stop her from pacing a hole in the floor. "Take a breath and think for a second; nothing is _getting worse_. And Niklaus isn't a stranger."

"Oh?" Emily asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who is he, then?"

"He's..." I paused. I very well couldn't say he was a centuries old vampire who harassed me just so he could drink my blood. _But don't worry now because he hasn't done anything like that since he attacked me at the library_. "He's…a friend."

"A friend?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Where did you meet?"

"Uh...at Gloria's," I replied sheepishly.

"Ah-ha! You see?" she exclaimed, pushing me out of her way so she could continue pacing. "I told you that you would get into trouble if you participated in illegal activities!"

"Illegal activities?" I frowned. "Em, you're making it sound like I joined a lynch mob and have been murdering people in the middle of the street."

"Perhaps that's next," she huffed. My jaw dropped in shock; I never thought my sister, my best friend, would say such things, but she did and, oh, they stung. I took a breath and willed the tears back.

"I...I'm an adult, Emily," I told her. "And fully capable of making decisions on my own; I didn't need your permission to work at the library, so why did it seem like I needed your permission to work at Gloria's?" Emily seemed momentarily caught off guard.

"Y-you—"

"_And_ I don't think that who I kiss or where I kiss them is any of your business either!"

"I-it isn't, but Robyn—"

"I didn't have a problem when you moved into the city, Emily," I began. "I didn't have a problem when you started spending all of your time with Greg and rarely came to visit. And then I got the position at the library...and you insisted that moving in with you would be wonderful. Our last adventure before you get married. But you just said that to be nice...to make your kid sister happy?"

"Oh, no, of course—"

"You're worried that I'm changing too much?" I asked. "Well, take a look at yourself. My sister, my Emily, who used to check under my bed for monsters and cook up schemes to get cookies before dinner, would've never said the things you just did. She would be proud that I was grown up and living a life of my own...instead of being pushed down a path mother chose for me."

I turned on my heel and walked to my bedroom, scowling at Emily's calls of protest, slammed the door behind me. Once it was closed, I couldn't help but release the floodgates and let the tears fall freely.

* * *

><p><strong>Emily's POV<strong>

_July 1, 1920_

_ I shouldn't have been so hard on her. As soon as Robyn walked away and slammed her bedroom door shut behind her, a deep pang of guilt erupted in my stomach and I felt awful. I, having a rebellious streak when I was younger, had done much worse than kiss someone in a hallway, and thinking back on it now, I feel much worse about yelling at my sister. _

_ To make things even worse, she hasn't talked to me for a week. At first, I thought she would simmer down and understand why I reacted the way I did, but she didn't. She stays in her room most of the time, except in the mornings to get ready for the library, or at night when she comes home. I wait up for her every night, to see if she would let me apologize, but she doesn't even look at me when she gets home; she walks into her room and locks the door behind her._

_ Greg told me it was best if I just left her alone, and I'm finding it harder to do that the longer I wait. I want my sister back._

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

"Thank God, you're alive!" Rebekah exclaimed cheerfully as I squeezed beside her at the crowded bar. "Every time I got sight of you tonight, it looked like you're about to be devoured by a mob of humans."

Gloria's had been busy all week, thanks to the speakeasy a few blocks away that had been raided a few nights ago, and customers had been flooding in faster than bottles of liquor could be opened and glasses cleaned. Since I had confided in Gloria about my argument with Emily, she figured that I would find a good distraction at the club and convinced me to come in every night so far this week. She was right, it was a good distraction: I didn't think of Emily at all as I struggled to move through the sea of bodies, arms flailing out at me with money for cigarettes, chocolates and roses, all while the band played live, upbeat tunes that inspired dancing left and right.

"I'm sure that it looked better than it was. I got pinched twice," I said as I tried to get the bartender's attention.

"What?" Rebekah choked on her champagne in disbelief.

"It was an accident," I shrugged. "Besides, Gloria is reveling in the boost in business, so I can't really complain."

"Of course you can Robby," Rebekah protested with a look of disgust. "You should've just beat the living hell out of whoever touched you."

"I can't do that!" I exclaimed.

"Just point them out then," she scoffed, gesturing to the rest of the club. "I'll do it. I don't care."

"Oh, please don't," I laughed and she rolled her eyes.

"With you and Nik around, I never get any fun," she sighed.

The bartender finally noticed me and walked over to take the money I had collected so far so he could put it in the cash register. I thanked him and bid a quick goodbye to Rebekah and made for the curtain cloaking the back hallway.

I walked into the storeroom at the end of the hall and unstrapped my tray, looking around the dozens of boxes stacked against the walls to find the one marked "_cigarettes_."

"For God's sake, Gloria," I sighed. "You need to get organized."

"It would seem so," a smooth voice came from behind me. The door to the stockroom shut with a resounding bang, and I jumped and quickly turned around, only to have lips crash into my own and two hands slide over the silky waistband of my skirt, squeezing my waist slightly. I pushed myself away from my assailant for a brief moment and barely caught sight of dark blond hair and familiar grey-blue eyes before his lips captured mine again.

My hands pressed against Niklaus' chest as he pulled me against him; my heart beat loudly in my ears along with the sound of the band faintly heard from the club. I felt Klaus smirk against my lips and I rolled my eyes, figuring that he could hear my rapid heartbeat. He lifted a hand from my waist and brought it up to cup my cheek, caressing my skin gently with his thumb.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

"You're getting better at that sweetheart," I said with a smirk as Robyn pushed me away, hungrily inhaling as much air as she could. Her cheeks flushed and she hid her face in my chest bashfully. "We're going to need to practice more though; _much_ more."

"You're terrible," she muttered.

"That I am, but you've been avoiding me," I replied. "So I figured I'd take matters into my own hands."

"Have you seen the crowd out there?" Robyn asked, looking up at me. "I've been busy."

I silently recalled the past week; it was true, Gloria's had become much busier, but I had been impatient these few days since I had taken Robyn home from the baseball game and kissed her. I would watch her talking with a group of people across the club and occasionally, she would look over and smile.

Rebekah had mocked me on more than one occasion about how she was worried, by the look in my eye, that I would steal her away and have my way with her. I had just scoffed, but the idea had crossed my mind at least once; I craved her. Her attention, her company, her kiss…her blood. And the more I had to wait, the more I craved her. So when I saw her disappear behind the thick curtain alone tonight, I couldn't wait any longer.

"You have time to talk to Bekah," I pointed out.

"Not really," Robyn replied. "_She_ talks to _me _while I try to work; it's really quite distracting."

"She can't help it; she's like a lost puppy," I shrugged. "Just ignore her and she'll leave you alone."

"That's mean," she said, stifling a giggle.

"She's my little sister; I have to be a little mean." Robyn froze and looked down at the floor. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. "I just need to get back out there before Gloria gets mad." Robyn backed out of my arms but I pulled her back.

"It's late," I pointed out. "The club won't be open for much longer; I doubt if Gloria minds if you take a break."

"Well unlike you, I try to be responsible." She carefully removed my arms from her waist and turned towards the door, but I grabbed her hand and spun her to face me.

"You're too responsible."

"I am not!"

"Have a little fun, Robby."

"Nik, I'm serious," she laughed. "Now will you let me go?"

"I've…" I hesitated, uncertain about how to continue. I hadn't felt…well, I barely felt anything remotely similar to the things I felt for Robyn since Tatia; almost a thousand years of cold disappointment and hatred. I was a vampire and emotions were the greatest weakness a vampire could have. But I was also a hybrid, technically, if I could break the damn curse; I was indestructible. Why should I fear having emotions?

"I've missed you," I whispered finally, lifting a hand to push a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"You missed me?" Robyn raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"What?" I smirked. "Is the big bad vampire not allowed to miss someone he cares about?"

"You're not that bad," she muttered.

"Oh no?" I asked. I grabbed her by the waist and rushed across the room, pinning her to the wall; I felt my face change into its vampiric form, my fangs pressing against my lips as I grinned wickedly at her. "How about now?"

The room was silent, save for sounds coming from the club and Robyn's rapid heartbeat. Her eyes were wide, and at first I thought it was because of fear, but then she tilted her head to the side, cautiously lifted a hand up, and I felt her fingers lightly brushing over the veins protruding beneath my eyes.

Robyn took a breath and was about to speak when the door to the storeroom opened with a creak.

"Robyn, I was beginning to worry—" Gloria began, freezing mid-sentence when she saw us. She placed her hands on her hips and frowned. "What's going on in here?"

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

"Oh God," I muttered. "Not again."

"Gloria," Niklaus greeted. "How nice of you to join us; Robyn and I were just—" He stopped short and released his hold on my waist, falling to the ground as he reached up and held his head. I went wide-eyed at the sudden change in his behavior and looked to Gloria for an answer.

"What's going on?" I asked in confusion.

"I thought I told you to leave Robyn alone," Gloria said.

"Technically, we never made that deal," Klaus replied in a mocking tone, despite the pained look on his face. He cried out in pain and I quickly knelt beside him.

"What's wrong?" I asked, stroking a hand across his forehead. He clenched his eyes shut and cried out again. I looked up at Gloria. "Are you doing this? How are you doing this?"

"She's a witch," Klaus groaned. "Some friend; didn't even tell you her secrets." A…what?

"Is this true?"

"I'm afraid so," Gloria replied.

"Then stop this, Gloria, please," I begged in fear for Klaus' well-being. Sure, he was a vampire, but…I guess witches trumped vampires when it came to abilities. "He wasn't going to hurt me; we were just talking."

"Alright," Gloria sighed after a moment or two. "I'm sorry." Klaus let go of his head and his face relaxed; he pushed himself into an upright position and glared at her.

"I'm sure you are," he snapped.

"I was worried for Robyn," she continued. "I'm sure you would've done the same thing were you in my position."

"Could you just…go back to the club, Gloria?" I asked. "We'll be out in a minute; don't worry." She watched us with worried eyes and left reluctantly, but left the door open, in case of any danger, I suppose.

"Are you alright?" I asked Klaus.

"Yeah," he huffed. "I've met many witches in my time and, as strong as they've been, I think Gloria beats them all. She really packs a punch." I sighed and sat down on the floor, facing him.

"I think I'm getting sick of the truth," I muttered. "Vampires, witches…what's next? Werewolves?" Klaus shot me an amused look and I groaned. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm afraid I am," he replied. "Besides, what's wrong with werewolves?"

"Nothing," I shrugged. "I suppose they're interesting in books, but I don't want to meet one." Klaus smirked and shook his head; he leaned close to me, our lips practically touching

"You shouldn't believe anything you read in silly storybooks," he whispered. Suddenly he was on his feet and was helping me up. "Come now; we don't want Gloria to come back and set me on fire."

"Can she do that?"

"She can do much more than just that," he laughed.

* * *

><p>I walked into the apartment and carefully closed the door behind me; I was about to go to my room when I spotted Emily, asleep, on the sofa in the living room, her journal in one hand, clutched to her chest, and a pen on the floor, presumably where she dropped it when she fell asleep.<p>

I frowned and placed my bag on the floor, then walked over and knelt beside her. My stomach dropped when I saw tears glistening in her eyelashes.

"Em?" I said softly, shaking her shoulder gently. "Emily wake up."

"Robby," she groaned. "Go back bed. Mother will be mad if we try to take from the cookie jar again." I stifled a giggle at her response; we had always been after cookies when we were younger and the only chance we got to get to them while our mother wasn't watching us like a hawk was in the middle of the night.

"Emily, come on," I said, shaking her a little harder. "You're dreaming. Wake up."

"Hmm?" Emily's eyelids fluttered a few times and, drowsily, she looked around the room. "Where am I? What happened?"

"You fell asleep on the couch, Em," I told her.

"Oh," she yawned. "I was waiting in my journal…writing for you to come home."

"I think you're a little confused," I laughed.

"Hmm." She rubbed her eyes and then looked at me. "Oh Robyn, you're home!" She suddenly attacked me in a hug and I got a face full, and not to mention mouthful, of her oh-so-orange hair. "Oh, I'm so sorry for acting the way I did the other day. I didn't mean to yell at you…to say that you were…I don't know how you could ever forgive me."

"Are you crying Em?" I asked, pushing her back so I could look at her. Lo and behold, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"I just missed listening to the radio with you and going to the market with you," she sobbed. I pulled her into another hug and waited for her to stop crying.

"I'm sorry," she finally said when she was done.

"So am I," I muttered.

"For what?" she asked, pushing me away so _she_ could look at _me_. "I…I'm the one who was unfair to you."

"Maybe so, but I was a little unfair to you as well," I shrugged. "Can you forgive me?"

"Can you forgive me?" she asked in reply.

"Of course," I nodded. "I kinda need my sister back."

"Oh Robby," Emily hugged me one last time. "This is wonderful. The next night you have off from Gloria's, we can sit down and you can tell me anything you don't want to keep a secret. If you want to, that is. But I definitely want to hear about that…what was it? Nikolas? Niklaus? What is he? A…gentlemen caller?"

"You're too old-fashioned Emily," I laughed, then yawned. "I'll tell you all about him tomorrow; it's late. You've already fallen asleep on the couch once and I really don't want to sleep on the floor."

"Alright then," she scoffed in mock derision. "If you want to be a princess, fine." We stared at each other and then laughed.

Almost a half hour later, I was in bed drifting to sleep as my brain filtered the last of my thoughts for the night.

I was a librarian by day, a cigarette girl by night. I had made amends with my sister. I had two good friends: Gloria, a witch, and Rebekah, a vampire. Not to mention Niklaus, who I felt so much toward that it both excited and scared me. And everything was going to be alright.

* * *

><p><em>Gloria's was in full swing; the patrons were drinking and laughing, the band played some upbeat tune as the dancers did their routine. And I was amidst it all, smiling brightly as I went from table to table, trading cigarettes and other little trinkets for money.<em>

_ Then…everything seemed to become sluggish and hazy around me; the music was warped and people passed me with heavy, slow steps. The world suddenly tilted and I felt myself falling, the contents of my tray spilling to the floor; I closed my eyes and waited to hit the ground, but it never came._

_ Arms wrapped around my waist and hauled me to my feet; my head fell back against someone's chest and a hand pushed my hair back and out of my face._

_ "It's alright, dear girl," a smooth, cold voice whispered in my ear. I didn't recognize the voice at all; it was dark...scary."Everything is going to be alright."_

_ My eyes roamed over the club and I spotted two familiar faces: Emily and Greg. Why were they at Gloria's? Emily was pro-prohibition, 100%, so why was she drinking champagne and laughing? I frowned and noticed the sparkle of a bejeweled dress in one of the corner booths; Niklaus, Rebekah and Stefan Salvatore laughed joyously, raising champagne coupes filled with, what looked like, blood in a toast. Gloria's voice resonated from her position on stage, but sounded odd with the distorted music._

_ "You see?" the voice asked. "They'll be alright without you. You don't have to be afraid."_

_ "Afraid of what?"_

_ "Don't be afraid."_

_ "Of what?" I asked again._

_ "Of death." My heart clutched in my chest and my shoes slipped against the floor as I tried to kick myself free, but the arms tightened around me._

_ "No," I protested. "No, please."_

_ "Relax," the voice cooed. "Your time is coming to an end; it'll all be over soon."_

_ "No."_

* * *

><p>My eyes jolted opened and I shot upright in my bed, awake, a scream ripping through my throat before I could control it.<p>

**A/N: So…I'm BACK! A few excuses; so little time. I sent out the previews late, and then some stuff got in the way of the update, so it was even later. It's up now, and I'm going to make an effort to update once every two weeks at the latest. No promises, but I'll try.**

**Anyways, what a chapter, eh? I'll admit that this was one of those hump chapters that takes a while to get past, but once you get it, you're on a roll again. I changed the part I sent with the preview a little because of some storyline ideas I had. It makes sense if you're in my head, which you aren't, so let's move on.**

**That's all I have to say. Reviews are always appreciated and will, as always, get you a preview of the next chapter. (Oh and what a chapter the next one will be!) So review. Questions, comments, concerns, crazy theories; anything? Do you like the way Robyn and Klaus' relationship is progressing? What do you think Robyn's dream meant? Did Robyn and Emily make up too quickly? Let me know what you think; I'm dying to know if this story is as good as I hope it is. REVIEWS!**

**Until next time!**


	11. Spiritual Connections

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Robyn's POV**

"Gloria…what do you know about dreams?" It was the very next afternoon that I asked her while we were sitting in a booth in the club having lunch. I wasn't supposed to work that night, but it was our routine to have lunch together every day when she was finished with her classes and my shift was over, regardless.

"What do you want to know?" she asked in return, opening a package of Oreo biscuits she had bought at the drugstore we had stopped at on the way here.

"How can you tell what they mean?" I asked.

"All dreams have different meanings," Gloria shrugged. "And it's difficult to interpret them without a proper understanding of any symbols or events. If you can recall your dream completely, that is."

"Oh."

"Why?" she asked. "Been having some strange dreams?"

"You could say that," I nodded and looked down at my sandwich, somewhat disheartened.

I had been incredibly sluggish at the library that morning; students would come and go, asking about various books, and the most I would do was to help them find what they were looking for and then just give them a smile. Some of the other, older librarians had asked me if I was well enough to stay, saying that I looked like I would collapse at any moment; I had told them I was fine despite the fact that I felt like I was dead on my feet.

* * *

><p><em>"Robyn?" Emily asked as she ran to my side. I had pulled my knees to my chest as the scream died from my throat and began sobbing as soon as I saw her. "What happened? What's wrong?"<em>

_ "I don't want to die Em," I replied. "Please. I don't want to die."_

_ "Die?" she asked, sitting down on the bed. "That's crazy. You aren't going to die." "Yes. They said—" I choked on my words and just shook my head. Emily moved to my side and pulled me into a hug._

_ "Shh," she whispered into my ear. "It was just a bad dream. Nothing's going to get you."_

_ "But—"_

_ "No. Nothing is going to get you while I'm here to protect you." I stiffened at those words, thinking of the way she and Greg behaved in my dream. "Please don't cry Robby. You can't let silly dreams get to you like this."_

_ "It wasn't some silly dream," I said in an urgent tone, pulling out of her embrace. "It felt real, Emily. It _was_ real_."

_"Of course it wasn't real," Emily shook her head. "I know it seems that way, but it wasn't. I promise."_

_ "But I was so scared."_

_ "I know."_

_ "I'm still scared," I told her._

_ "Don't be. It was just a dream. Now it's late; go back to sleep. If you have another nightmare, I'll be here to wake you up."_

_ "Really?" I asked._

_ "Nothing is going to hurt you. I promise."_

* * *

><p>Getting back to sleep after my nightmare had been a struggle; echoes of it haunted my mind every time I closed my eyes, and although the gripping fear I had felt had subsided some, I forced myself to stay awake, thinking through the endless possibilities of what it could've meant. At breakfast this morning, when Emily asked how I was, I told her I was fine, that my eyes were just a little sore and puffy from crying, and she believed me. With a smile and big hug, she left for work.<p>

What I didn't understand was, if I've been having nightmares since coming to Chicago—according to Emily, at least—why was this one the first that I could remember? For all that I had, the only dreams I could recall were good ones—fluffy clouds, days at the beach—and even some boring ones—shopping for shoes with Emily. If I could just remember one, even just bits of one, then maybe I could figure out what they meant…

"Robyn," Gloria said cautiously, breaking my train of thought. I looked up at her with eyebrows raised. "Something's bothering you."

"Don't worry about it," I shook my head and forced a smile. "I'm just a little tired."

"Because you haven't been sleeping," Gloria guessed. "You've been having nightmares."

"Once or twice," I quickly lied. "Nothing to lose sleep over; I just had a long day at the library. Lots of books to shelve." She raised an eyebrow in disbelief and stared at me, waiting for the truth. "Just…don't worry."

"Well, I am. You're my friend, Robyn; I might not have known you for too long, but I do know you. And I know when you lie, and I know when something is bothering you."

"Oh?" I asked with a light laugh. "So the fact that you're a witch has nothing to do with your extraordinary lie detection abilities?" Gloria couldn't hide her smile at that.

"Maybe," she replied. "But I _am_ trying to be serious here, so if you could please play along."

"Alright. But I am fine," I insisted. Gloria stared at me for a long moment, then dusted cookie crumbs off of her hands and held one out to me.

"If you're sure," she nodded.

"Positively," I fibbed and placed my hand in hers. As soon as our fingers touched, it felt like there was a shock running through me from head to toe, and a phantom scream echoed in my ears. My scream.

I quickly pulled my hand from hers and blinked; what had happened? I looked up at her to find that she was staring at me.

"You lied to me Robyn," she said, her gaze stony but her voice soft.

"What?" I asked. "No, I—"

"You're crying," she continued. "You have been for the last few minutes." I hesitantly reached up and touched my cheeks, shocked to find that they were wet.

"No. That's impossible," I shook my head. "We were just talking, and then you held your hand out and…what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," she said. "You did that."

"Me?" I asked in horror.

"Or rather," she began. "Whoever is controlling your dreams did that."

* * *

><p><strong>Gloria's POV<strong>

"Why do you have so many?" Robyn asked in awe. As soon as I got her to calm down from the initial shock, I ushered her into my office, the rest of our lunch sitting forgotten on the table we had been at just moments ago. As soon as she was seated in the chair opposite my desk, I got to work plucking various grimoires and jars of herbs from their spots on the shelves.

"They all have different magical properties," I explained while examining an old, yellowing jar filled with round green stones. "Also, some of the older spells require rare herbs, and since a witch never knows when she's going to need a spell, she needs to be fully prepared." Robyn laughed dryly after a few minutes.

"Life seemed so much simpler before I moved in with Emily," she said.

"That's what happens when you grow up," I replied, walking back over to the desk with the last of the herbs I would need. "Things go from being simple to being…well, I think complicated is an understatement, especially in these circumstances."

"I think that the word 'understatement' is an understatement in these circumstances," Robyn muttered.

"Don't let this get to you," I comforted as I made sure there were enough candles in the room. "You might've been caught in the crossfire of a spell gone wrong."

"Really?"

"Of course," I nodded. "It happens all the time." It didn't; I knew that it didn't, but I didn't want to worry Robyn more than she already was. I didn't want to worry _myself_ more than _I_ already was. The images of her nightmares I had seen when my magic connected to her were terrible, definitely not the product of compulsion. If it had just been compulsion, I would've found some vervain for her to wear or drink with some tea and told her not to worry any longer.

No, her nightmares came from magic; that was the only way I had been able to connect to her when our hands touched. I wanted to find out why.

I finally fell into my desk chair and flipped one of the grimoires open to the page I wanted. I quickly worked to crush a few herbs as Robyn watched silently, clearly curious as to what I was doing; I laughed at the silent recognition that appeared on her face. I had told her that I studied botany, which was true, and now she was seeing just _why_ I was.

"Alright," I sighed and motioned for her to hold her hands out. I quickly spread the crushed herbs onto her hands and then looked up at her. "Are you ready?"

"Is it going to hurt?" she asked.

"If I'm doing this right—which I am—" I quickly interjected as her eyes widened. "You won't feel a thing."

"Ok," she nodded. "Then I'm ready."

With a deep breath I took Robyn's hands in mine and the candles burst to life; I began chanting the spell from the grimoire quietly and as the spirits began to respond, the worry I had for my friend increased. I clenched my eyes shut as more images flashed through my mind. For a split second, it felt as if something was trying repel my magic, but as I harnessed more energy from the flames of the candles, it became easier to access Robyn's mind, her dreams.

_I'm standing on the stage inside the club. I can see…the crowd. I'm singing. Across the room, I see Robyn. She's…talking…but aside from those around her, who seem to be in their own little worlds, she is alone._

The images slipped from my grasp and I concentrated harder, and the spirits embraced me.

_I'm getting closer._

_There's a dark alley. I'm on one end, Robyn on the other. Again, it looks like she's talking to herself, but then she looks over her shoulder and frowns. A shadow passes behind her and as I'm being ripped out of the dream, I can see Susannah's bloody corpse propped against one of the walls of the alley._

I open my eyes quickly to make sure Robyn's alright, as to not lose my concentration, and then I shut my eyes and continue chanting the spell.

_Screams._

I jump slightly in my chair but keep focus.

_The screams are getting louder, but strangely, at the same time, softer. There's darkness. No. There's light as well. The…moon. The stars. They cast their light on…a graveyard._

_ I'm alone. And then I'm not. I see Robyn up ahead, sitting against a headstone with her knees pulled to her chest. She's no longer screaming, but instead crying._

"Robyn?" I ask aloud. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Robyn answers in the real world.

_"I'm scared," she sobs in the dream world. "Where am I? Please. Please. Tell me; where am I? I'm lost. I'm so lost."_

_ "What's wrong?" I ask the dream Robyn only this time. She looks up at me with haunted eyes, tired eyes, lost eyes. Human eyes. She's so human, so fragile, so scared._

_ "Please," she gasps. "Please, can you help me? Help me."_

_ "You can't help her," a clear voice says from behind me, and a cold hand descends on my shoulder. "I'm sorry."_

The vision fades slightly, the spirits warn me to stay away, to let go. But Robyn's my friend; I push forward and it becomes clearer again.

_I turn around and find a woman standing behind me. She's dressed simply in a black, floor-length dress; her blonde hair is pulled up into a bun with some strands framing her pale face. Behind_ her_ are the shadowy silhouettes of people, walking among the graves, their hands brushing over headstones every now and then._

_ "Hello Gloria," the woman nods in greeting. "You and I need to talk."_

After a few moments, the visions disintegrates and the candles go out as I open my eyes.

"Well," Robyn looked optimistic. "What happened?"

"Hmm?" I asked, then realized that she was talking to me. "Oh! You don't have to worry; you won't have any nightmares anymore."

"That's it?" she asked.

"That's it. Everything will be fine from now on," I nod. I let go of her hands and dust mine off. "Why don't you go home and get some sleep; you need it." She would be safe at home; she could spend time with her sister.

"And no nightmares?"

"No," I forced a smile. "I promise."

"Thank you Gloria," Robyn smiled and then yawned a little. "I'll see you tomorrow." She skipped out of my office and I placed my head in my hands. I suddenly feel cold…and guilty. I had lied to her; it wouldn't be fine. I would try to do what I could, but the woman had said so and the spirits agreed, that it would be futile. Death was at Robyn's doorstep and nothing could be done; all I could do was wait.

I didn't know when, I didn't know why, and I didn't know that there was something pulling on her soul from the other side.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

"Robby?" Emily's voice came through my bedroom door followed by a light knock. "Robby, are you awake?" I had taken Gloria's advice and came straight home, getting to the apartment before Emily did even, and immediately fell into a nice, dreamless sleep. My sister had woke me up when she got home, figuring I had been awake, but quickly apologized and left me alone.

"Mmhmm," I replied sleepily as I woke up. "'m up."

"Oh good," Emily opened the door and smiled. "Your friend Rebekah is here to see you."

"Rebekah?" I asked. What was she doing here?

"Yeah. Blonde, accent, about…this tall," Emily made a vague motion with her hand. "You know. The one I met at the dress shop a few weeks ago. Well, she's waiting in the living room. Apparently you two had a girl's night planned?"

"Girl's night?" I asked. We hadn't planned any girl's night; at least, I hadn't. Then when I saw the look on Emily's face, I played along. "Oh. Girl's night. Right. Completely forgot."

"Great," my sister smiled and was about to leave when she pulled a sour face. "I would suggest brushing your hair…and changing your clothes before you go out."

"I will, _mother_," I scoffed and waved her away. She just laughed before disappearing down the hall. I quickly jumped out of bed and got ready, all the while wondering what crazy scheme Rebekah had planned. She was always suggesting midnight shopping trips since she could compel the owner to keep the stores open just for us and give us whatever we wanted free of charge—I protested at the idea, but she just laughed it off—or all trying all the fancy supper clubs that stayed open especially late for all the hungry customers leaving speakeasies all over the city. Every second I wondered, the greater my excitement got.

I quickly grabbed a small clutch purse and walked to the living room, where Rebekah and my sister were talking.

"…hopelessly obsessed with her." Rebekah laughed. "It's very funny to watch, actually."

"I can imagine," Emily nodded with a bright smile. She noticed me and sighed. "Well, it was nice seeing you again Rebekah, but I won't delay your fun any longer. Engaged older sisters have to call their fiancées and look through catalogues all night."

"Congratulations, by the way," Rebekah interjected. Emily shyly thanked her then gave me a hug.

"Are you alright to go out?" she asked.

"Fine," I told her with a sure smile.

"Don't stay out too late," she said.

"I won't," I replied. She pulled away and said goodbye before disappearing down the hall. Once her bedroom door was shut, I looked at Rebekah with raised eyebrows.

"Girl's night?" I asked.

"Oh, please," she scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "You never would've agreed to go out if I had suggested it at Gloria's. And don't say you might've because that would be a complete lie."

"You've got me there," I laughed.

"Besides," she continued, talking a mile a minute. "This is your first night off that I knew about before hand, so it was too good an opportunity to pass up."

"And how, exactly, did you know where I live?" I asked, leading her out of the apartment.

"Oh, Nik told me," she replied with a simple wave of her hand. "Anyway, I got you a dress at Marshall Field's when I went shopping on Wednesday. Shoes too. And I'm sure they'll both fit. We'll have to change when we get to mine and Nik's apartment, so if it doesn't fit, you can borrow something of mine. We're about the same size."

"Change?" I asked.

"You didn't expect us to go out looking like this?" Rebekah asked, horror etched on her face as we made our way down the stairs. We were both wearing simple dresses; nothing fancy. "To go out to, I don't know, get a milkshake, sure. Not for what I have planned for tonight, though."

"I _do_ have dresses Bekah," I informed her.

"Robby. There are dresses," she began with a bored tone, then quickly became bubbly again. "And then there are _dresses_. The one I got for you is a real knockout."

"You seem to have everything planned out," I laughed.

"Of course I do," she scoffed. There was a pause as we walked outside, and she pulled a key from her purse. "Well, except how Nik's going to react when he realizes I took his car. But he'll just have to deal with it. Oh! We're going to have so much fun!"

Rebekah grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her as she ran over to Klaus' Model T and pushed me inside. She got in as well and as stuck the key in the ignition, a thought occurred to me.

"You do know how to drive, don't you?" Rebekah just smirked and pulled out into the street.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

We had been at Victor's Supper Club, a cleverly disguised speakeasy on State Street, for two hours when Rebekah decided to make herself scarce. I had silently thanked whatever God there was for it because she had monopolized Robyn's attention the entire time, barely letting me get a word into their conversation at all, and when I did, she would glare daggers at me. I suppose, since bringing Robyn out with us was her idea, she naturally assumed that I wasn't needed.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" I asked when we were finally alone. The music here was obnoxiously loud, unlike Gloria's, but it gave me the chance to sit closer to her in our booth.

"Very much so," Robyn nodded with a big smile on her painted red lips. I had to admit, as beautiful as she was in her normal clothes, and as tempting as she was in her cigarette girl costume at Gloria's, she was the perfect mixture of both in the dress Rebekah had chosen for her. I had been awestruck when I arrived back from feeding and saw her; what I would've given to just ravage her there.

"What about you?" she asked innocently unaware of the thoughts running through my head. "Are you having a good time?"

"I always have a good time with you," I told her truthfully. Robyn blushed and looked away in embarrassment, causing me to laugh. I cupped her face in my hand and ran a thumb over her cheek. "My bashful little bird."

"I used to hate that, you know," she said, looking back at me.

"What?" I frowned.

"The little bird thing," she clarified. "Back when you wanted to…drink my blood—"

"I still do, you know. You're delicious," I interjected darkly, but she hit my chest playfully.

"When you were doing it as a…well, as a threat. Like you were the big bad lion who just wanted to eat the pretty little bird."

"Still do," I repeated with a smirk. She glared at me.

"Niklaus," she scolded.

"Alright," I laughed. "Continue."

"I like it now though. It makes me feel…" she scrunched up her nose for a moment. "Well, let's say that it doesn't make me feel like some small town librarian girl. You make me feel…special."

Our gazes met and I was entranced by the layers of color in her hazel eyes. I was about to say something, I can't even recall what, when she leaned up and oh-so innocently pressed her lips to mine. It was such a profound gesture that I pushed away any lust I felt and kept the kiss simple and pure; _she_ had kissed_ me_, when all the other times _I_ had been the one to kiss _her_. She pulled away after a few seconds and cleared her throat, reaching for her champagne glass immediately to hide the blush that was quickly overtaking her features.

"I guess that means you like me, then," I said proudly, reaching for my own drink.

"Shut up," she laughed. I smirked at her and downed the rest of my scotch. The band began to play a slow song, a pleasant change from the upbeat jazzy numbers that had been played all night and an idea quickly worked its way into my head.

"Dance with me, Robby," I whispered, leaning in so close to her that my lips brushed the shell of her ear.

"I…" she hesitated, her fingers gracefully brushing over the rim of her champagne glass. "I don't dance. I told you that before."

"No," I smirked. "You said you _can't_ dance, not that you don't dance."

"Klaus, no," she pleaded with wide eyes.

"You danced with that one gentlemen before," I reminded her, holding back a snarl of jealousy. "At Gloria's."

"That was a one time thing," she scoffed. "And besides, I stepped on his foot enough times that I'm sure his foot was broken by the time the song was over."

"Don't worry," I assured her. "You can step on my toes to your heart's desire. Now come and dance with me."

"But—"

"Robyn," I began, taking her hand to pull her out of the booth. "Rebekah invited you out with us so you could have a good time; experience a speakeasy as a guest rather than a cigarette girl. Enjoy yourself; enjoy this life…with me."

She stared at me, blinking every so often, and I was sure she was going to say no until a small, bashful smile bloomed upon her lips.

"And you promise not to say anything if I step on your toes?" she asked. It felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I positively beamed; I lifted her to her feet and leaned in to kiss her heavenly lips.

"My lips are sealed."

**A/N: So…I'm back again! No excuses. If you got a preview from writing a review on the last chapter, I've already explained myself. I'm back now, writing again. For the foreseeable future, this fic will get more love than I Wish It Was You, mostly because TVD is really biting me in the ass with the Delena crap, and I can tolerate the Klaroline stuff—I'm _not_ a supporter of that either—because it's not too profound. On that note, I do have the next chapter written, mostly, and it will be up on…Monday/Tuesday of next week? Maybe even Sunday? So count on that, please.**

**All other crap aside, reviews are always appreciated and will, as always, get you a preview of the next chapter. So REVIEW! What did you think of this long overdue chapter? Robyn's going to die (possibly, wink)? Any theories? Reactions to the weirdly scary séance with Gloria? Any "awws" to the impossibly fluffy end scene between Klaus and Robyn? Questions, comments, concerns, cookies, hugs, and shrines dedicated to me (gotcha…but no, I was serious) are all welcome.**

**Until next time!**


	12. Shifting Affections

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Robyn's POV**

"Hey, cigarette girl," a smooth, slightly slurred voice caught my attention as I turned away from a table of men and women who were playing liar's dice. I turned my head and caught sight of a man sitting at a booth with a handful of dancers. He was handsome, yes, but his ink-black hair was unruly, sticking up at all ends, and his icy blue eyes were glassy; he was well on his was to being blackout drunk, and as I spotted two bottles of bourbon on the table—one empty and the other nearly full—I figured that it was his intention to do just that. "Come here." He waved me over.

"How can I help you, sir?" I asked as I reached his booth, forcing a smile.

"Uh. Cigarettes—how many packs, girls—four packs. A few cigars? Three?"

"Three?" I repeated, trying to gain his attention again as he lost focus trying—and partially failing—to retrieve his wallet from the inner pocket of his jacket.

"Three's fine."

"Three." I nodded and removed the items from my tray. "Anything else?"

"Would you like to join us?" he asked, trying to be charming as he handed me the money.

"There's plenty of room."

"Sorry, sir," I said, stifling my laughter.

"On your break then?"

"I already promised to spend my break with someone else." Since we had danced at Victor's Supper Club on Friday, I had spent all my breaks dancing with Klaus. I didn't know dancing could be so much fun; aside from all the times I would step on his foot, especially during the faster songs, and I could feel something crunch beneath my shoes—oh, I felt like my face would burn off, but he insisted that he would heal—it felt like we were the only two people in the world. We would get lost in the music, we would talk about anything and nothing; he would tell me that I looked "ravishing" in my uniform with that unbelievably silky voice of his and I would blush terribly, earning a wide smile from him.

His smile, his kiss…everything about him made my heart beat faster, made me want to stay in his arms forever…

"Boyfriend?" the man sighed, leaning back in his seat. "All of the good ones have boyfriends. Never stopped me before. Mmm-mmm; they were delicious." It seemed that he was talking more to himself and I took it as the cue to leave.

"Have a good evening sir," I said and turned away, heading back into the cramped madness that was Gloria's. I loved it. It had been almost a week since going with Niklaus and Rebekah to Victor's. Emily and I had gone home for the rest of the weekend, along with Greg of course, to visit our parents and enjoy the long Independence Day weekend as a family. My mother took one look at me, or rather the dress I was wearing which I had bought for the occasion, and immediately began a lecture as to why I should quit my job at the University library and move back home. My father, the more mellow and accepting of my parents, had been the one to save me by making an excuse that he would need help bringing the groceries home from the general store in town.

Just being in the hustle and bustle of Gloria's made me appreciate it much more than I ever did the quiet suburban life I had been raised in. Maybe the idea of being without my mother's constant bickering was what made city-life more appealing, but the thrill of it entirely was what was made it breathtaking.

"You look like you're having fun out there," Rebekah said sarcastically as I approached her booth in the far, dark corner of Gloria's.

"Oh yes." I sighed tiredly and pulled the strap of my tray over my neck. I slid into the booth, the silky fabric of my skirt sliding against the leather seat. "So much fun."

"Nik was looking for you."

"Really?" I perked up at this. I quickly looked around the club. "Where is he?

"He went to feed," she laughed. "But really now, don't go having a heart attack."

"What are you talking about?" I frowned.

"As soon as I mentioned my brother, your heart started racing." I could feel my cheeks burning.

"Oh," I muttered.

"Don't get all shy now," Rebekah scoffed. "I've worked too hard for you to just shrink back into your shell."

"_You've_ worked hard?"

"Yes."

"So I guess that I had nothing to do with it?" I asked.

"I'm the puppet master, Robby," she said haughtily. "Nothing happens unless I will it." I rolled my eyes at her and she just smirked. It took a few moments of restraint until we both burst with laughter.

"Would you like some champagne? I can find someone to get a glass for you," Rebekah asked, motioning to a bottle that was sitting on the table. I shook my head; although I had taken somewhat of a liking to it at Victor's, which had been a surprise as I had expected it to taste as terrible as the scotch Klaus had me drink just weeks before on the night of Susannah's death, but I didn't want to fall prey to any vices, especially when surrounded by so many people, human and vampire alike.

"I should really get this to the back to refill it before I take my break," I told her, motioning to my tray and standing up once more. Rebekah smiled and clapped her hands excitedly.

"I can't wait for you to break Nik's foot again; it helps ease the fact that he's a real pain in the ass sometimes." I blushed with embarrassment. "Don't worry. You'll get better; until then, I'm just enjoying the moment."

"Your brother's right you know," I told her, picking up my tray. "You really are a pain sometimes."

"How nice to say that to your friend who only wants the best for you," Rebekah scoffed. "Let me have my fun."

I laughed and headed across the club and behind the curtain to the back hallway. I almost ran into Gloria as I reached the storeroom.

"Taking your break?" she asked, holding the door open for me.

"Yep," I told her.

"Dancing again?"

"Yep."

"I remember when I first met you," Gloria reflected. "You weren't even sure you could walk around the club without falling over, and now you're learning how to dance."

"I don't believe it either," I replied. "My mother couldn't even get me to dance at weddings. She told me that I wouldn't find a husband unless I knew how to dance properly."

"Now you've got yourself a boyfriend who's willing to teach you." I smiled shyly as I opened a box marked "cigarettes" and began refilling my tray. "You still breaking his toes?" Gloria asked.

"I…" I blushed, looking over at her. "He's being really nice about it."

"I'm sure." She paused for a second and frowned.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"Gloria," I groaned. "I know something's bothering you. Tell me."

"It's…do you really think you should be spending so much time with them?" she asked.

"What? With who?"

"Rebekah and Klaus," she elaborated. "They're vampires. They're dangerous. They could hurt you."

"Gloria..." I blinked, unsure of how to continue. "I…They're my friends. "

"And so am I. Please try to be careful around them." I sighed and closed the box of cigarettes.

"Gloria," I began, approaching her. "I've seen you hurt Klaus before with your powers. They might be vampires, and they might be dangerous…but you're a witch…and you're dangerous too."

"You can trust me, though, Robyn," she insisted.

"And I can trust them too." I told her. "They've never given me a reason not to." I could see that she was about to say something more, but I didn't want to hear it. I quickly stepped around her and walked down the hall. As soon as I passed through the red curtain separating the club from the back, I found Klaus standing before me with a big grin on his face; just seeing him gave me a grin of my own.

"Ready to dance?" he asked.

"Of course," I told him, Gloria's words just phantoms lost in my thoughts.

* * *

><p><strong>Rebekah's POV<strong>

"I'm so sorry."

"It's alright sweetheart, really."

"Oh, no. It isn't."

"Robyn. I'm fine."

"But..."

"Would you just trust me? They're my feet; I think I know better."

I laughed, lifting my champagne glass to my lips. I had been watching my brother attempt to teach Robyn to dance for the past ten minutes. It had been Nik's obsession since we brought her to Victor's with us. He would sit in our booth most of the night, drinking, occasionally going to play poker with some of the drunker customers to boost his ego—something he really didn't need—and then whenever Robyn took a break from selling cigarettes, he would whisk her off to the dance floor. It was all so sweet, it sickened me a little bit, but I was happy that Nik's attentions were finally away from the stupid unbreakable hybrid curse.

The other thing that amused me to no end was the way Robyn would clumsily step on his feet every so often. As soon as I saw him cringe, I knew immediately that she had broken a few toes—something that had been done _many_ times since they first danced at Victor's—and I would listen carefully through the music for their reactions. My brother—the short-fused original—and my best friend—the shy human librarian. What an amusing pair they made. He would turn red with anger, and she would turn red with embarrassment. It was priceless.

This time, though, as Robyn continued to apologize, my brother silenced her with a kiss. As sweet as it was to watch two of the closest people to me fall in love, inside my heart, I felt a deep longing to experience something like that again.

"Fancy meeting you here," a soft voice disintegrated my thoughts and I looked away from the dance floor to find Stefan Salvatore sliding into the booth beside me.

"What do _you_ want?" I scoffed, sipping my champagne.

"A guy can't just come over to talk to a pretty girl like you?" he asked with an overly confident smirk.

"A guy? Yes." I replied, pretending not to enjoy this game that we had been playing for weeks. "You? No."

"You know, I've been nothing but nice to you. Why is it that you hate me so much?"

"Nice?" I scoffed. "You've been nothing but a thorn in my side. You and your stupid friends."

"They're just kidding around," Stefan explained. "They don't know any better."

"I don't know what's worse," I began. "The fact that you lower yourself to their level—human—or that they're careless enough to spend time with such a reckless, murderous _ripper_ like you."

"Such harsh words," he laughed, feigning a cringe. "I guess a dance is out of the question then."

"Only in your dreams, Mr. Salvatore," I told him, standing up to head for the bar.

"I'm looking forward to it," he called after me. I couldn't help the small smile that graced my lips.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

"Tell me a secret," I whispered into Robyn's ear as we swayed.

"A secret?" she asked, pulling her head off of my shoulder so she could look me in the eye.

"Mmhmm." She bit her lip and frowned.

"I don't really have any secrets."

"Just try," I told her.

Remorse. It was such a human emotion, something I had forsaken a long time ago, probably at the same time I forsaken love and all those other emotions that made a vampire weak. Such a shock it had been when it began to eat at me as I watched Robyn walk around Gloria's tonight, her blatant innocence such a contrast to everyone and everything in this den of iniquity. I began to wonder if I deserved her, considering all the terrible acts I had done over the years. I didn't regret any of them, no—if given the chance, I would repeat my actions again in a heartbeat—but I felt quite the Hades to Robyn's Persephone. I cared for her greatly, as I knew she did for me, but…

_Maybe_, I thought, _if I knew her deepest secrets, I wouldn't feel so unworthy of her. Maybe I could let myself love her._

"I'm a terrible dancer," Robyn tried with a shy smile.

"You're a wonderful dancer," I replied, pulling her closer. "You just need to practice where you step. Try again?"

"I've never worn a skirt this short before," she said, motioning to the dark blue skirt of her new uniform. The outfit _was_ quite…scandalous, more than her uniforms usually were, but it was no secret.

"No. Next."

"You're terrible."

"I know," I laughed at the pout on her lips. "You can lie if you'd like."

"I might just have to," she replied. "Alright. I—" She stopped short and a look of horror crossed over her features.

"Got a good one, then?" I asked. Robyn's mouth opened and closed like a fish's, and she shook her head.

"Well…uh," she stuttered. I noticed that she was looking over my shoulder at something and was about to turn to see what she was looking at, but Robyn caught my face with her hand, forcing my to keep my gaze on her. "Are you thirsty? I'm…thirsty."

"Are you offering, sweetheart?" I asked with a smirk; although I had just fed on a nice waitress outside, I could feel my face change with hunger at the thought of Robyn's sweet blood. Robyn's eyes quickly darted over my shoulder and then back to meet mine.

"Sure," she nodded. I raised an eyebrow at her odd behavior.

"Robyn, what's gotten into you?" I asked.

Before she could answer, I turned around and my jaw dropped. In plain sight across the room were my sister and a young man who I recognized immediately from Rebekah's endless descriptions of him and his irritating personality. From the way Rebekah had talked about him, I assumed that she was close to killing him…not kissing him, as she was currently doing. So much for always confiding in each other; Rebekah had kept her affections for the young vampire a secret from me.

I didn't know who I wanted to kill more: my sister or Stefan Salvatore.

**A/N: Late. As usual. But not by much, so I'm actually impressed with myself. I've been swamped with crazy relatives _all week_, so that meant no writing. Until today, when I was kindly asked to remove myself from the kitchen because my help wasn't needed and quote: "find something better to do." And this was definitely more tempting than writing my Thanksgiving essay for English class. Thumbs up!**

**The chapter was kinda short, and sort of a filler, but we're finally getting to _End of the Affair_ storyline. I'm not going to follow the flashbacks of the episode to a tee and, obviously, I won't blow through it in one chapter because there's more to the story to tell. But it will be spread nicely over the next few chapters, and then we'll reach a critical point where you, readers, will have to make a decision. But enough of that until later.**

**To anyone who reviewed the last chapter and got a sneak peek: Yes, I changed it a little bit. The way I had the chapter written was bothering me, so I did some rearranging. Everything's pretty much the same as it was, except that one part, which was really giving me some roadblocks. Thanks for your consideration.**

**Anyways, reviews are always appreciated and will get you a sneak peek of the next chapter. (If you can correctly guess who the drunken club-goer was at the beginning of the chapter, I'll send a second sneak peek. It isn't really that hard, and I promise that the next chapter will be a doozy.) So REVIEW! Questions, comments, concerns? I'll even be happy with a "hello!" Maybe I'm getting desperate? No. I'm just going insane from _quality family time_.**

**Until next time!**

**PS to everyone in the US. Happy Thanksgiving!**


	13. Action and Reaction

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Robyn's POV**

I stared at Rebekah and Stefan Salvatore with wide eyes; I had a suspicion that something was going on between them, but every time I asked Rebekah, she would just brush it off and tell me how annoying he was. I guess she meant that he was so annoying that it was charming, because there they were, kissing so passionately, I was starting to blush. Klaus, however, did not have the same reaction. As he turned back to me, I could see the rage practically oozing out of him.

I blinked and he was gone, across the room in an instant, aggressively pulling Rebekah away from Stefan. I watched the encounter for a few seconds, their words muted by the music and shouts of the men playing cards around the club, and the scurried off the dance floor. My break must've ended a while ago, because I had been dancing with Klaus for at least 6 or 7 songs. His smile, charming words, and, not to mention, the little kisses he stole from me made me lose track.

On my way out of the back, after getting my tray, I spotted Klaus pull Rebekah out of Gloria's, anger evident on both of their faces.

"What happened?" I jumped as Gloria sidled up next to me. "I practically had to break up a fight."

"I don't know," I told her. "Klaus just went…ballistic."

"Well, it _is_ his sister," Gloria reasoned. "He's very protective of her. Think of how protective Emily was after she saw the two of you kissing."

"She wasn't _that_ bad, though." I sighed. "He looked like he could kill them."

"I think if I hadn't intervened, he would have," Gloria replied. I frowned and looked at her.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Oh, you know. Just worked my magic," she smirked.

"Of course you did," I laughed.

* * *

><p>"Are you staying long?" I asked, walking out from behind the red curtain and into the main room; the band was packing up and Gloria was behind the bar, drying champagne flutes that she had in a line on the bartop. The club had closed a short while ago and mostly everyone had gone home. I had stayed behind to change into my regular, decent clothes and organize the dressing room a little bit; the other cigarette girls that Gloria had hired after Susannah died always left a mess.<p>

"Nope," Gloria sighed. "I'm just cleaning up and going home. I need sleep."

"You're telling me," I replied with a smile.

"How've you been sleeping, by the way?"

"Just fine," I nodded. "No nightmares. Just good dreams."

"That's good." Gloria smiled brightly. "I'll see you tomorrow for lunch?"

"Mmhmm," I replied excitedly. "Millie was telling me about a soda fountain a few blocks from here. She said they make a great roast beef and cheddar _and_ cherry sundaes."

"I'm up for it if you are," Gloria agreed.

"Great. See you tomorrow." I called and scurried up the steps and to the door.

I walked out of Gloria's and skidded to a halt when I spotted Klaus leaning against the brick wall beside the door with his arms crossed across his chest and a scowl on his face.

"Klaus?" I muttered. "What are you still doing here?" He didn't answer me, and I was about to ask again when he suddenly appeared in front of me.

"Did you know anything about them?" he snapped, grabbing my arms tightly with his iron-like grip.

"What?" I frowned.

"Did you know about my sister and that pathetic Salvatore?" he repeated.

"What…I…Of course not." I stammered. "I was just as surprised as you were."

"Don't lie to me Robyn." Klaus said in a low, dangerous voice.

"I'm not." I snapped. "It would help if you could trust me."

"I thought I could trust Rebekah, and then she conveniently left out her little—"

"Can you blame her?" I cut him off. "Look at how you behaved. How you're behaving. I had nothing to do with it…and you act as though I'm as much to blame as they are for keeping it a secret from you."

"I—" He paused and his eyes softened. "I'm sorry Robyn."

"Now let go," I muttered. "You're hurting me." His grip loosened and his thumbs caressed my arms gently.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he said softly after a few minutes.

"I know," I replied. "But you're upset. I understand."

"I don't know how youput up with me?" Klaus asked, sounding much more melancholic than he had just moments before. He lifted a hand up and fingered a lock of hair that had fallen loose from my hair ribbon. I batted his hand away and took it in mine, lacing our fingers together.

"I'm very, very patient," I told him truthfully.

"I suppose you are."

"You still upset?" I asked, taking a step closer to him.

"No."

"Good."

"Why?" he frowned. I smiled coyly and leaned onto my tip-toes to bring my lips to his. I was slightly disappointed when he pulled away from me.

"I love it when you do that," he muttered.

"Then why did you stop?" I asked.

"Hmm. My feisty little bird," he grinned.

"You're the one who told me I needed to practice more," I teased. "_Much_ more."

"That I did," he agreed. "Carry on." I shook my head, shivering as he let go of my hand and snaked his hands over my sides and around my waist, pulling me flush against him. I leaned up again, but stopped when I yawned, my jaw stretching as my mouth opened wide.

"That was…unexpected," Klaus deadpanned.

"Sorry." I blushed.

"Tired?" he asked.

"Yeah. Long night." I squealed like a little girl as he picked me up and spun me around a few times. He set me back down on my feet and when he pressed a gentle kiss on my lips, there was this feeling in my chest…like everything was right.

"Let's get you home, then," he said, taking my hand and walking me over to his car.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

"Don't go."

"I have to."

"No you don't."

"Gloria is going to fire me if I keep taking breaks this long," Robyn laughed, trying to get out of the booth. I had been opting out of dancing for the past few nights as I spotted my sister and Stefan Salvatore on the dance floor for most of the time. Instead, when Robyn took her break, I pulled her into the booth and kept my anger low and my thoughts occupied by kissing her. All the thoughts of Rebekah's betrayal were silenced as soon as our lips touched.

Having all my senses bombarded by Robyn was sublime; the way her lips felt and tasted against mine, the way she smelled as I dragged my lips across her jaw and down her throat, the rapid beat of her heart in my ear as I bit her gently with my blunt teeth. Judging by the little noises she made, she must've enjoyed it as well. It always ended in disappointment though when her break was over.

"I'll be lonely if you go," I begged her. Robyn sighed and I took it as a victory, pulling her back to me, but she batted me away and stood up.

"Why don't you go and talk to them?" she asked, motioning across the club to the booth Rebekah and Stefan were occupying, drinking and laughing without a care in the world.

"No," I snapped.

"Why not?" Robyn asked.

"I'm not going to admit defeat by going over there," I told her.

"Haven't you ever heard of being the bigger man?" I stayed silent and she continued. "Maybe the reason Rebekah kept her feelings for Stefan a secret because she knew you would act this way. And she's not going to stop because you disapprove of him; you're only fueling the fire."

"So you're saying that if I go over there and talk to them," I began. "To try and reconcile, that she'll dump him?"

"Yes, that's—" Robyn paused. "What? I never said that." I picked up my glass of scotch and downed it quickly, then stood from the booth.

"I'll do it," I said and leaned down to give her a kiss. "Thanks Robby. I don't know what I did to deserve you." I quickly made towards Rebekah's booth with a determined smirk on my face.

"Klaus…That's not what I meant!" Robyn called after me.

* * *

><p>Soon, I saw that the vampire that my sister had become infatuated with was not as bad as I had originally thought. He was quite insightful, made good jokes, and I could tell he truly cared for Rebekah, and she him, every time they looked at each other.<p>

"So, Stefan," I began, calming down after a long laugh at one of his entertaining jokes about a vampire, a train conductor and a…well, it wasn't important. "Enlighten me. What makes you worthy of an original vampire like my sister? She's pure vampire and you're no more than a diluted bloodline."

"Don't listen to him Stefan," Rebekah said with a smile, clearly pleased that we were getting along now. "Nik's an elitist." She gave me a sly look that said, _That's why you're falling for a human. _I simply rolled my eyes at her and turned back to Stefan.

"Hmm," Stefan nodded, lifting his glass of champagne. "And where's the _rest_ of your family?"

"Let's see…um, I killed most of them," I replied.

"But not all," Rebekah chimed in.

"And you're ok with that?" Stefan asked her.

"Well we all had the chance to chose a side," Rebekah told him. "I chose the right one…eventually." She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. I gave her a small smile at the gesture and she returned it.

"Sir, you have to calm down." An alarmed voice reached my ears and I quickly turned my attention to the rest of the club.

"Calm down. Ha. Don't tell me to calm down. I'll calm down when I want to calm down. Now where is she?" I frowned when I spotted the source at the bottom of the stairs that led to the lower level of the club that contained the bar and the dance floor. One of Robyn's fellow cigarette girls was standing there with a nervous-looking man in a disheveled suit, who was grasping her by the shoulders. I watched as he pushed the girl aside and stormed up the stairs, skidding to a halt in front of our booth.

"There you are," he said to Stefan and Rebekah. "Where the hell is my wife?"

"I don't know," Stefan replied with a smirk. "I give up."

"You think you're so tough?" the man asked. "Hiding in your bar? Drinking your liquor? Maybe a call to Chicago PD will set you straight?"

"Oh," Stefan laughed with Rebekah. "I'm scared."

"Haha," the man deadpanned.

"Uh, Lila," Stefan looked past me and waved to someone. Soon, we were joined by a woman wearing a scarf and a vacant expression. "Come here for a second."

"Oh, thank god, come on," the man sighed. "We're leaving."

"No, no, no," Stefan stopped them, compelling them. "No. You're sitting." With an alarmed expression, the man came and sat beside me, and Lila beside Stefan. Stefan took the woman's hand in one of his and pulled her glove off.

"Oh Stefan, don't be mean," Rebekah cooed as he pulled a switchblade from his pocket. I frowned, puzzled at Stefan's actions; what was he planning?

"What the hell are you doing?" the man asked.

Stefan opened the blade and took the woman's hand once again, positioning her wrist over an empty champagne coupe, then ran the blade over her wrist, cutting her skin just deep enough so that her blood would pour into the glass.

"Ah," Stefan smirked and closed the blade, pressing Lila's glove against her wrist when the glass was full. "Thank you so much Lila. Why don't you go find someone to help you bandage that up?" The woman nodded robotically and left. Stefan then turned his attention to the man.

"You know, we got all caught up in the drama, we forgot that we were celebrating. Why don't you join us for a drink?" he asked the man, pushing the glass full of blood towards him.

I laughed heartily with Rebekah and Stefan as the man—Liam Grant his name was, as I had learned after Stefan asked him—tried to resist the compulsion, but ended up drinking the entire glass of his wife's blood. I smirked, watching the action with a sick glee. Perhaps I had underestimated Stefan before, thinking he was just some simple, impulsive, young vampire; he was cunning.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

"Thank you for helping me Robyn," Lila Grant said with a smile as I led her back towards the club. She had found me earlier, holding a glove over a bleeding cut on her wrist, and asked me if I could help her. When I saw how much blood was staining the glove, I quickly pulled her to the back so I could help clean the cut and bandage her up.

"No problem," I told her with a smile. "I'm here to help."

"I always seem to get hurt," Lila said wistfully. "My husband usually helps me out but…he was with some of our friends tonight and I didn't want to ruin his fun."

"Is he still with them?" I asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged.

"Maybe I could help you find him," I offered.

"Oh would you? Thank you so much!" I held back the red curtain and we walked back into the main room of Gloria's.

"Do you see him anywhere?" I asked.

"No," Lila replied after a few seconds.

"Maybe he's outside getting some fresh air," I suggested. "The air is a bit…smoky in here. Don't you think?" Lila agreed and I led her towards the door.

"Hey Johnnie," I greeted as we reached the door. "Have you seen Lila's husband lately?"

"Liam Grant, right? He was causing some trouble earlier," Johnnie shrugged and folded his newspaper, then looked at Lila. "He was looking for you."

"Did he leave?" Lila asked hopefully. "We can't find him either now."

"Think he stepped out a few minutes ago," Johnnie replied, running a hand through his hair. "A lot of people have been coming and going since then though, but I don't think he came back."

"Come on Robyn; he wouldn't leave without me," Lila said. She took my hand and pulled me outside. Even though it was late, the street was lined with cars and people were still walking towards the entrance to Gloria's so they could have their taste of the _prohibition_. Lila pulled me down the street, calling out her husband's name every so often.

I heard a sound as we passed a nearby alley and stopped as Lila went ahead; fear gripped me as I recognized my surroundings. This was where I had found Susannah's body just weeks before. I cautiously took a step into the dark alley and frowned; I could hear a soft groaning and I barely made out the silhouettes of four people, one shorter than the other three.

"S-stop it," a weak voice mumbled, the sound bouncing off the buildings. "P-please. It hurts so much."

"Maybe we should stop Stefan," a familiar, feminine voice said with some caution. "Before someone sees."

"No," another one growled. There was a sickening crunch and a sharp cry.

"Let him have his fun, Bekah." The fourth voice laughed. "Poor Mr. Grant tastes too good for our ripper friend to pass up."

"For God's sake, Nik," the feminine voice scoffed. "What happens if a police officer sees us with a dead body?"

"We'll compel him and go on our way."

I froze in shock and backed out of the alley, a hand clapped over my mouth to keep from making a sound. Rebekah, Stefan and Niklaus…they were drinking from Liam Grant. _Killing_ Liam Grant. I thought back to the night of Susannah's death. Klaus had been the one to find me banging on the door to Gloria's after I had found her body. Did that mean…but he had acted like he didn't know anything.

I quickly turned so I could find Lila…but she was nowhere in sight. I couldn't hear her calling out for Liam anymore, or the sound of her heels clattering against the sidewalk. She couldn't have gotten far; it was impossible.

I heard the dull sound of something—a body—drop to the ground and I did the one thing that every part of my body, my soul, told me to do. It was cowardly, but I was upset and afraid.

I ran.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

I had never seen any vampire, ripper or not, tear through that many humans in one night. Not even in one night. In one hour. Stefan Salvatore had an unquenchable thirst that was inspiring. I laughed, recalling the way the one girl's arm ripped out of the socket; she was already dead, yes, but it was comical anyways.

Rebekah had gone home with Stefan, even though the night was still young and Gloria's was still full of life, because they had both been sloppy and had gotten themselves drenched in blood. One would think that after a thousand years, Rebekah would have some table manners, but no; she was just as careless as Stefan had been.

I walked into Gloria's with one intention, to find Robyn; I had realized towards the end of our escapade that I had missed another one of her breaks and hoped that I could catch her before she went home. The blood and the adrenaline had given me a rush and I was anxious to see her, if only to thank her for being so right about giving Rebekah and Stefan a second chance.

"Sweetheart, have you seen Robyn?" I asked one of the other cigarette girls as looked around the club.

"She hasn't gone home yet, if that's what you're wondering," the girl said, not really paying much attention to me as most of it was going to a table full of flirty poker players. "I think she's in the back, though."

"Thank you," I replied and rushed towards the partitioned off back hallway of Gloria's. I caught Robyn's scent immediately and followed it.

"There you are," I said with a smile, walking into the dark storage room. Robyn was sitting on top of a large wooden crate marked "Import-Armagnac" on the front; I noticed the bottle of champagne clutched in her hands and laughed. "I thought you were only going to drink when we went out."

"Changed my mind," she replied, lifting the bottle to her lips to take a delicate sip.

"Are you…are you crying?" I asked, noticing the tears in her eyes.

"Keen observation."

"Why are crying?" She stayed silent. "Why are you crying? Robyn, answer me! What's gotten you upset?"

"Lila Grant."

"Lila…Grant?" The girl from earlier tonight? She was so dazed from compulsion; I doubted that she could've caused Robyn to this.

"She had this big cut on her wrist and after I helped her bandage it, she couldn't find her husband."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I offered to help," she continued. "And we looked everywhere. We even went outside to look; Johnnie thought that he saw Liam leave. I lost Lila…but I found Liam."

"You did?" I asked, suddenly feeling uneasy. I hadn't noticed her in the alley…she couldn't have been there.

"Only he wasn't dead," she laughed. "Not yet."

"He wasn't."

"He was having a drink with_ some friends_. Or rather…he _was _the drink."

"Robby…"

"You still have blood on your mouth," she laughed, tipping the champagne bottle back for another drink. I frowned and reached up, surprised when I felt the thick, wet substance on my fingers; I thought I had cleaned it up.

"Did you kill Lila too?" she asked, setting the bottle down. I frowned in contemplation; had we killed her?

"No," I shook my head, even though I wasn't sure. "Of course not."

"What about Susannah?" she asked, jumping off the crate and taking a few uneasy steps towards me.

"Your friend Susannah? The dead one?"

"Yeah, the one I found in _the same alley_ where you and Rebekah and Stefan Salvatore were killing Liam Grant," Robyn poked my chest clumsily with each word to accentuate her point. "And _you_ were so conveniently there to come to the rescue. Did you kill her?"

"No," I took her hand to stop her poking. "Sweetheart, you're drunk. You aren't thinking rationally."

"Then who killed her?" Robyn asked.

"I don't know. Could've been anyone," I replied.

"Yeah," Robyn hiccupped. "It could've been anyone that killed Susannah. In fact, whoever did it could've killed _anyone_."

"Is that what you're worried about?" I asked, taking her face in my hands. "That you're going to be attacked by a vampire?"

"Think about it," she muttered. "There are vampires all over this club, all over this city. First Susannah was killed, now the Grants, God knows who else…what if I'm next?"

"I told you I was going to protect you, Robby."

"Yeah, but you aren't always around. The nights I walk home alone, the nights I don't even come to Gloria's, going home from the library, going _to_ the library. Nobody is safe anywhere. Do you know how that feels?" she asked, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm so, so scared."

"I know," I wiped her tears away with my thumbs. "I know you're scared, but I thought you understood. Vampires need blood, Robyn."

"But you don't have to kill people."

"We're predators," I explained. "It's what we do. You have to accept that."

"What if I don't?" she whispered.

"You have to."

"But what if I can't?" she asked, pushing my hands away.

"You need to!" I shouted, fangs snapping into place. She jumped and backed away from me. "You don't know what it feels like to hold life and death in your hand! The thrill of it! It feels so good; it _tastes_ so good. This is what I am Robyn! I'm a vampire, a predator, a killer! You need to accept that! And I love you, Robyn, but I swear to God, if you can't accept that about me then—" I stopped, calming down some. Did I just say that I…loved her?

"What?" she asked.

"Robyn…"

"What were you going to say?" she snapped. "If I can't accept that you're a murderous, bloodthirsty monster then what?"

"Robyn, don't do this," I began, wincing inwardly at her words. I just told her I loved her and she didn't care; she called me a monster.

"What were you going to say?" she repeated.

"I wasn't going to say anything," I told her. "I didn't mean it. It was a slip of the tongue." Robyn looked at me with wide eyes and then pushed past me, heading for the door. I was about to follow her, but she turned around and glared at me.

"Stay away from me," she snapped. "Just…stay away from me."

I stared at the door as it shut behind her and frowned. Rebekah had Stefan, Robyn was gone and there was no way to break the hybrid curse; I felt alone, broken…and angry. Love really was a vampire's greatest weakness.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

"Robyn, what's wrong?" Gloria asked when she spotted me darting down the hall. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going home," I told her, adjusting the strap of my bag over my shoulder.

"You're still wearing your uniform. People will see you."

"I don't care. They'll get a free show."

"Wait, wait!" Gloria caught up to me and grabbed my arm. "Have you been crying?"

"A little," I admitted.

"Robyn, your eyes are all red and puffy. You didn't just cry a little bit."

"Please, Gloria, just drop it," I begged. "I'd like to go home, lock myself in my room and sleep until I die."

"Alright," Gloria nodded. "Are you going to be at the library tomorrow?"

"Not scheduled to be," I told her simply.

"I'll come check up on you in the afternoon then," she replied.

"Thanks," I forced a smile and left.

I pushed through the door to Gloria's and started down the sidewalk. Stupid vampires. Stupid Klaus. Stupid, stupid, stupid Robyn! Why was I always so naïve and stupid and trusting? He didn't care at all; I was probably just some plaything to him. _Look at the innocent little human, falling for me as if she jumped off a cliff._ Even now, I couldn't help but feel like going back and kissing him. Stupid, stupid, stupid Robyn! I was falling so fast, it was hopeless. God, I should've listened to my mother and moved back home. No, I should've just stayed at home in the first place. Avoided all of this craziness.

As I reached the corner, I was so caught up in my thoughts that I tripped in true Robyn fashion. I hadn't expected the shards of glass on the street.

"Ah," I winced as the sharp pieces scrape my knees and cut into my hands, much like they did the day I went to the Cubs game with Klaus. "Stupid Chicago. Always garbage in the street." I picked myself up and examined my hand, the pieces of glass glinting in the low street light. I knew I wouldn't be able to pick the pieces out until I got home, so I began the long trek across town with fresh tears rolling down my cheeks and my own misery and a throbbing headache for company.

**A/N: Hello everyone! Late, again, but we're another chapter closer to…well, I can't say. It has been a long week; lots of homework and crazy school crap. Here I am though, back again with another chapter.**

**Klaus said the L-word! But Robyn—who is a lightweight with no tolerance to alcohol whatsoever—was so wasted, she just got more upset and didn't even realize it. I know some people who turn into emotional drunks with selective hearing; it makes for a good family get together. In terms of this story, though, drama will definitely ensue.**

**A special shout out to BrittxAngelusx: you have your private messages disabled and I couldn't send you a sneak peek. So hello.**

**That's actually another thing I'm going to start doing. If you're an anonymous/non-user who is reviewing or you are a user who has their private messages disabled, I'm just going to give you a little shout out in my author's note. A little "hello out there, thanks for the support" and an answer to any questions you leave behind.**

**Anyways, reviews are always appreciated and will get you a sneak peek of the next chapter. So REVIEW! Questions, comments, concerns? Any predictions for the next chapter? I'm anxious to hear theories!**

**Until next time!**


	14. Heartbroken

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Rebekah's POV**

I gently tugged at my hair, which was being very uncooperative, as I walked towards the door, ready to go out for the day. I stopped in my tracks with a quick glance into the living room.

"I hope you know that it's only noon," I said, watching as my brother drank from a bottle of scotch as if it were water.

"And?" Nik asked.

"It's pathetic," I replied, scowling at the sight before me. The room was in disarray. Bottles, both empty and full, were scattered about the room. There were a few waitresses I recognized from Gloria's passed out on the floor and on the lounge chairs with bites marking their skin. I hadn't heard him come back home last night, but looking at him—his clothes rumpled, his hair disheveled, and dark shadows around his eyes—I figured that it had been late, and he had been up all night.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he sighed. "Thank you."

"For God's sake," I rolled my eyes. "What happened to you?"

"Nothinghappened," he replied.

"I know you better than that, Nik," I laughed airily. Suddenly I found myself against a wall with his hand gripping my throat tightly.

"_Nothing happened_," he growled, eyes flashing. "Now drop it." His grip tightened painfully for a second before he released me and rushed back to his place in the tall wingback chair facing the window looking out at the city. I lifted a hand to my neck and winced slightly; Nik had rarely,_ if ever_, laid a hand on me for as long as I could remember. I knew something had upset him for him to react like this, but I also knew that I wasn't going to get an answer from him, not yet.

"Alright," I sighed. "I'm going out. I'll probably be back late."

"Where are you going?" he grumbled.

"Shopping—"

"I should've known," he laughed.

"—with Robyn." I finished, and I could hear him growl. I frowned in confusion. "Did something happen between you two? You went looking for her last night…and now this." Nik was silent and I rolled my eyes. "I'll just ask her then."

"So much for blood being thicker than water," he muttered as I started towards the door.

"Don't blame me," I told him. "You're doing this to yourself."

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

My head pounded rhythmically, my eyes burned, my hand stung and my heart ached…terribly; I thought I was going to be sick too, but I didn't want to get out of bed, no matter how many times I dry heaved. Emily had knocked on my bedroom door before she left for work, but aside from a mumbled reply, I was still and silent, even though my pillow was damp from all the tears that I had shed.

With incredible effort, I rolled onto my back and stared at the perfect, white ceiling. Why was I doing this to myself? Emily had always been the stronger sister, but…why was I carrying on like this? Why was I getting so upset?

"Because I was falling for him," I whispered. "I _am_ falling for him." My heartache increased and I wrenched my eyes shut as fresh tears began to sting. "Don't think about it. Don't think about him. Don't think about it. Don't think about him."

No. I couldn't think about Niklaus. Not about his handsome face or his piercing eyes or his hair that he always slicked back, but then would become mussed as we danced…

"Robyn Elizabeth Costello, you will not think about that…vampire," I exclaimed, lifting my bandaged hand to my eyes.

"Robyn?" I could faintly hear a light, accented voice call me and I groaned. I had forgotten all about my shopping trip with Rebekah. "Robyn? Robby? Are you home? Hello?" I didn't want to see her; I didn't want to see any vampires for the rest of my life. But how could I get myself out of this? I could…stay absolutely silent and pretend that I wasn't home; yes, that was a brilliant—

Suddenly, my bedroom door opened and an annoyed Rebekah walked in with her lips pursed and an eyebrow raised delicately.

"How did you get in?" I asked, pushing myself into a seated position.

"Picked the lock with my hat pin," she replied quickly. "Why aren't you ready? I told you I would be here at 12:30! You're still in bed!"

"I…" I sighed and closed my eyes. "I don't really feel like going out today Rebekah."

"Not you too," she groaned. She walked over to the bed and grabbed my arm, tugging me to my feet. She looked over me with a sad expression; in perfect Rebekah fashion, she muttered to herself, taking a quick mental inventory of me. She tutted in a way that was not unlike Emily or my mother and pushed me into the hall.

"I don't believe this. This is completely unacceptable," she huffed. "Take a bath, put some lipstick on, and for God's sake, run a comb through your hair! I'll work on finding you something to wear, but I want you looking presentable in 20 minutes, Robby, or I swear, I will take this building apart brick by brick. You know I will!"

"But—"

"20 minutes," she repeated, shoving me into the bathroom, and slammed the door shut as she retreated. I could hear her muttering as she returned to my room and I sighed as I caught my reflection in the mirror. Bed head from tossing, wrinkled pajamas from turning, bandaged hand from glass-covered street, and bloodshot, puffy eyes from crying.

I choked out a sound that was somewhere in between a laugh and a sob; I looked so pathetic…it was funny.

* * *

><p><strong>Emily's POV<strong>

When I had gotten back home from work, I was surprised to find Robyn missing. There was a note in the kitchen in her neat handwriting, telling me that she had forgotten about a shopping trip with Rebekah, and that she would be home in time to help make dinner.

I didn't know what had happened last night; Robyn had been fine when I had seen her in the morning, and then a complete mess when I went to check on her this morning. I figured she had been crying all night, but I had been asleep when she came home so I didn't hear her. I tried getting her to talk about what had happened but she refused to. I had half a mind to stay home and make sure she would be ok, but Robyn had insisted, many times, that she was an adult and that she could take care of herself.

Just as I was going to pour myself a glass of lemonade, I heard the apartment door open and close, and the sound of footsteps in the living room.

"Robby?" I called. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," she replied. I put the pitcher back into the icebox and went out to see how she was doing. I was surprised to see her look so…normal; her hair was neatly tied in a side-ponytail with a pretty ribbon that matched her dress and shoes, and there was even a small smile on her face. I didn't know what I expected—maybe not the tangled hair and rumpled pajamas from earlier—but I was shocked.

"How was your day?" she asked, putting a few shopping bags down onto the ground.

"Uh…fine," I replied, slightly dumbstruck. "How was yours?"

"Fun," she laughed. "We spent the whole day at Marshall Field's. We even had lunch there. Can you believe it? There was a tea room _inside _the store. Oh, but it's not just a store; it's huge! As much as I love those little dress shops around the city, I think I like it better there. They have everything!"

"Oh wow," I laughed, recalling my first visit to the sprawling, multi-level emporium as she continued to gush. My reaction had been similar to hers. I guess that was the way small town girls reacted to city life; it was complete shell-shock.

"We…W-we even stopped at the hat counter, and I got this for you," Robyn finally said as she stopped for breath, but suddenly looked much more somber as she dug around in one of the bags. She produced a small green hatbox and handed it to me; I pried open the lid and carefully lifted a white pillbox hat, with delicate white netting as decoration, out of the box and smiled.

"Oh Robby," I cooed. "It's so beautiful. Thank you."

"Rebekah and I thought it was just fashionable," she said. "B-b-but the saleswoman said it would…it would be perfect…after a w-w-wedding." She brought her hand to her mouth and sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she fell onto the couch. I quickly put the hat down and rushed to her side, putting my arm around her as she cried.

"I thought you had a good day," I said softly.

"I did."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because you're getting married."

"Is that really it?" I asked.

"Yes," she whimpered.

"Are you sure? Because I distinctly remember you punching Greg in the arm and saying 'it's about time' when we told you, mother and father that we were engaged," I laughed.

"No," she muttered. I watched as she cried, her heaving sobs calming down so that the tears were just falling silently.  
>"What happened at Gloria's last night to make you so upset?" I finally asked.<p>

"I already talked about it with Rebekah," Robyn replied.

"Oh? So you can talk about it with your boyfriend's sister, but you can't talk about it with your own sister?" I asked, suddenly feeling a little dejected.

"You wouldn't understand if I told you, Em," she said. "You wouldn't believe me if I don't you the truth."

"I think you're underestimating me a little bit."

"You wouldn't," Robyn insisted.

"Please, I just want to help you. I'll even try not to be the nagging big sister." Robyn stared at me, chewing her lip nervously.

"This _cannot _leave this room, Emily," she finally said. "If I tell you, you have to keep it a secret."

"Alright."

"No matter how crazy it seems."

"I said alright," I exclaimed.

"Do you promise?" she asked.

"I promise," I agreed. She wiped at her eyes and then took a deep breath.

"Do you…do you believe in vampires?"

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

I downed the contents of the shot glass and slammed it back down onto the bar as the bartender slid another one towards me.

"You need to slow down," Stefan laughed. "They might actually cut you off."

"Does it look like I care?" I growled.

Gloria's had been open for an hour and it was steadily becoming full; I had been the first one in the door and I went directly to the bar. Stefan had arrived shortly afterwards, looking for my traitorous sister, but joined me as I waved him over. You know what they say; misery loves company.

As it turns out, misery also loves single malt scotch, so I paid the barman in advance for every bottle of it that they had and told him to keep serving Stefan and I until our livers failed. He took it as a joke; I was serious.

From that moment, we had been playing therapist to each other as we drank our sorrows away. Stefan had been having some problems with his brother—and himself—and I had problems with…everything: the hybrid curse, my brothers, my sister, my _father_, and…Robyn. I knew better than to trust all my deep secrets to Stefan, who was just a few notches above a complete stranger, so I tried to keep a filter on some of the more delicate subjects.

"You know, I don't know why you're carrying on about some human. Robyn's sweet, sure…but look around you," Stefan said, motioning to the dancers and the socialites and the waitresses. "You could have your pick of any of them."

"It isn't the same," I told him.

"Human, female, pulse," he shrugged. "Just chose a blood type and you're set. They're all the same."

No. No they weren't. None of them looked like _her_; none of them acted like _her_; none of them tasted like _her. _I wanted Robyn—I _loved_ Robyn—but she didn't want me; she thought that I was a monster. And I was. A hybrid, an abomination and a monster.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

Emily stared at me for a long time, barely blinking as she took the information in. Finally, she took a breath so she could respond, hopefully positively, to what I had just told her.

"You were drinking?!" she exclaimed.

"What?" I frowned.

"You were drinking?" she repeated, thoroughly confusing me.

"You mean to tell me that after I just told you vampires were real—not to mention witches—the only thing you got out of it all was that I got a little tipsy on champagne?"

"Yes."

"Not the blood drinking, or the murdering, or the magic, or anything else?"

"Not really, no."

"I thought you weren't going to be the nagging older sister?" I asked.

"That's before I knew you were actually partaking in illegal activity Robyn," she replied. "It's one thing to work at Gloria's, but it's another to actually drink alcohol!"

"Champagne."

"And get drunk."

"Not much."

"I'm surprised you didn't get murdered on the way home last night," Emily scoffed. "I know you were upset that your friend had died—"

"Susannah actually died a few weeks ago."

"I meant Lila."

"She wasn't really my friend," I muttered, fingering the bandages on my hand.

"Then why did you get upset with Niklaus?" Emily asked.

"I—"

"If all that stuff is in his nature, it shouldn't bother you, as long as you truly care about him," Emily said in all seriousness.

I frowned; that was _not_ the response I had gotten from Rebekah at lunch, and _she_ was a vampire herself. She had asked if ripping Klaus' lungs out would make me feel any better; it wouldn't. Emily's response was logical and level-headed.

"Would you do that for Greg?" I asked sheepishly.

"Yes," she said honestly. "Because I love him. Do you love Niklaus?"

"Yes."

"Really? There's no going back," she said.

"Yes."

"Then you have to accept him," Emily took my hands in hers and smiled. "And stop drinking because that's what got you into this mess in the first place!"

"What?" I asked.

"You were upset, and then you drank, and you got more upset," Emily said, squeezing my hands tightly to get her point across. "The dangers of alcohol! I know you, Robby—maybe not as well as I used to—but I know you. If you were sober, you would've rationalized the situation after a few tears had been shed."

"I guess."

"Good," Emily smiled. "Now I want you to go to Gloria's and apologize to your boyfriend and tell him you love him."

"Is that really a good decision?" I asked. "He might still be angry."

"He only got angry because he cares about you," she replied. "He'll listen; I'm sure."

"You promise?"

"Absolutely."

"When did you get so smart, Em?" I laughed.

"If you don't recall, I once threatened Greg that I would move to Boston because he bought me a dress three sizes too big," she replied sheepishly. "I didn't talk to him for a week and it was the longest week of my life."

"Was that the week that you—" I began.

"Yes," she cut me off. "Now go!"

"What about dinner?" I asked.

"Go!"

"Alright," I smiled and jumped to my feet.

"Wait! Wash your face first," Emily tutted, stopping me before I could reach the door. "Your eyes are all red and puffy." I sighed and nodded, skipping to the bathroom; looking in the mirror, just like I had this morning, made me laugh. I was all dressed up to go shopping with Rebekah, and I ruined it by crying again. I turned on the tap and splashed some water on my face, rubbing my eyes and cheeks lightly.

I stood straight and my heart practically jumped out of my chest because, in the mirror, next to me, stood a pale, blonde woman with a naturally scowling face. I turned and found myself alone in the bathroom, but as I looked back at the mirror, there she was.

"What?" I muttered.

"Hello Robyn," she greeted calmly.

"This isn't real."

"Oh no," she replied. "I'm very real. See? I can touch you." In the mirror, she placed a hand on my shoulder and I could feel it, even though she wasn't actually there with me.

"I'm sorry, Robyn," she said grimly. "But I'm afraid…I'm afraid that your time is running out."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "What are you talking about?" She smiled wickedly and I grabbed my head; it felt like there were burning needles piercing through my skull. My vision blurred and the world tilted; everything faded to black as I hit the ground. The last thing I heard was Emily's warped, distorted scream.

**Shout-Outs:**

**A shout out to BrittxAngelusx: I understand your laziness. Sometimes I'm so tired that I can't even type my phone password in correctly and I just give up. Thanks for the review; I hope you liked this chapter too!**

**Another shout out to Sonyareid: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

**A/N: Hello everyone! What is going on in this chapter!? Right when Robyn realizes that she needs to apologize to Klaus and tell him that she loves him, BAM! Back down shit's creek! How far will she travel down that creek? Well…that'll be a secret until next time! Haha! Evil!**

**Sorry that this chapter is kind of short and…sucky; I couldn't keep the Robyn-depression up. She's just so bubbly! I also wanted to get this story rolling again; there's some drama coming that I'm just itching to write and every chapter I postpone it makes me a little squirrelly. I can't just write it, though; that wouldn't make much sense to have (insert future stuff here when you finally get to read it) before any of this other stuff.**

**Anyways, reviews are always appreciated and will get you a sneak peek of the next chapter. So REVIEW! Even if you're a guest or you have your comments disabled; you may not get a sneak peek of the next chapter, but you will get a little shout-out/reply in the Author's Note. Questions, comments, concerns; I'm open to anything.**

**Until next time!**

**OH! And PS: I have put a poll on my profile. It's a short one, so it won't take you any time. If you go and check it out, I'll be extra speedy with my next update! So go! Right now! Thanks!**


	15. Somewhere In Dreamland

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Robyn's POV**

_I woke up to the sweet, doughy smell of warm apple pie. Freshly baked apple pie._

_ "Hmm," I sighed and my eyes fluttered open. Funny…Emily was usually on her way to work by now, so why did the apartment smell like pie? Did she have the day off or something?_

_ I got up out of bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, waking myself up enough to venture out of my room and find out what was going on…and if I could get a slice of pie._

_I opened my bedroom door and was about to call out to Emily, when I stopped in my tracked, mouth open, eyes wide._

_What in the world…_

_As soon as the door opened, champagne bottles began rolling into my room, taking up the unoccupied floor space and effectively lowering the sea of bottles that were layered upon each other as far along the hall as I could see._

"_Em?" I called out. "Em, are you out there?"_

_I treaded carefully over the bottles to walk down the hall. My heart nearly stopped, though, as I reached the living room. The outer wall was…gone, but rather than overlook the three stories that separated our apartment from the street, it opened up onto, what looked like the main street of my hometown, but obviously wasn't._

_The street was bustling with people, both those I had recognized as my neighbors, and those I didn't, but who were dressed in the evening wear that was the normal attire of patrons at Gloria's. There was a strangely misplaced downtown streetcar parked on the curb next to Brady's General Store, the driver standing by the door, chatting and laughing with Mr. Brady himself. Across the street from the General Store, though, where the bank should've been, was the Marshall Field building, where Rebekah had taken me shopping. Further down, beside the schoolhouse, was Cub's Field, sitting right atop the small patch of grass where we used to play games of make-believe. Both of them looked—everything, actually—out of place among the tiny, small town buildings that made up my home town._

"_Ah, Robyn, dear," an unfamiliar voice behind me caught my attention. I turned around and found the blonde woman I had seen in my mirror the night before, the scowl on her face had disappeared, and instead, she looked serene, happy even. She was walking out of the Wilson's butcher's shop, with a full, brown paper bag in her arms. "I was wondering when you'd arrive."_

"_What's going on here?" I asked, stuttering as I looked around. "This is a dream; this can't be real."_

"_Oh, I assure you," the woman insisted. "It's very real. Come now; it's lunchtime, and we have a lot to discuss." She stared past me, and made it a ways down the street before she stopped and looked back. "Come along; it isn't polite to stand in the middle of the street in your pajamas."_

_I looked down at myself, realization finally setting in that I was, indeed, still in my night clothes._

"_There'll be plenty of clothes for you where we're going," the woman said and nodded her head to gesture for me to follow her. "Come along."_

_Did I trust her?_

_I followed. What choice did I have?_

* * *

><p><strong>Gloria's POV<strong>

"Is it working?" Emily asked softly from her spot by the window. "Do you know what's wrong with her?"

"All I know is that she's asleep," I sighed, trying to focus on the spell that I had been using on Robyn.

"She's been _asleep_ for days, Gloria," Emily replied. "There must be something more than that."

"There isn't," I replied. "It's like…she's dreaming. She's asleep and she's dreaming."

"Can't you wake her up?"

"No. That's why I feel that there's more to it than just sleep," I told her. "The spirits are warning me from doing it; they keep telling me…that she'll die."

"What?" Emily jumped to her feet in a panic. "No! She isn't going to die. No. Just…wake her up. She'll be fine."

"Emily, please calm down."

"I don't know why I agreed to this," she breathed and ran a hand through her hair, nervously. "I should've just called a doctor."

"She doesn't need a doctor," I tried. "She needs something that can help her. And right now, that's me." Emily nodded and excused herself, and I went back to my grimoires to see if I had missed anything useful.

I had known that there was something going on when I had gone to the library earlier in the week to meet with Robyn before her shift at the club and was told that she hadn't shown up for work by one of the other librarians. One the third day of going to meet with her, the librarian I spoke to told me that Robyn's sister had called and said that she was sick. I, of course, being a caring friend, had tried calling, but when there was no answer that Robyn and Emily's apartment, I decided to go and check up on them.

Imagine my surprise when old Mrs. Peterson opened the door, with a bloodshot-eyed Emily standing behind her.

"_Gloria," Emily greeted with a sad smile. "Robby isn't well enough to be visiting right now."_

"_I know," I told her. "One of her co-workers told me; I brought soup."_

"_She isn't that kind of sick," Emily replied, her bottom lip quivering sadly._

She brought me back to see Robyn, and the first thing I noticed was the aura of death hanging around her. The spirits screamed for me to leave, to let Robyn go. It was her time, they said. She was destined to leave this world. I had known something was going to happen to her, ever since I took a look into her dreams and was told that this was her destiny—which I readily accepted—but looking at her, unconscious, pale and struggling to breath, made something snap inside of me. Why did Robyn have to die? What had she done to deserve a fate such as this?

Without another word, I went home, gathered as many of my grimoires and herbs as I could, and raced back to Robyn.

I was going to save her. I had to save her. She was my friend; she was _everyone's _friend. There wasn't a single person who met her who found any reason to dislike her. She had her whole life ahead of her, but she didn't…because the spirits had told me she was destined to die. And I had lied to her.

Now she was dying, for no apparent reason. Emily had said that she had heard Robyn fall in the bathroom a few days prior, hit her head on the sink, and hadn't woken up since. Everything I tried to get her to wake up had failed. I could sense that something was weighing on her soul, but nothing I tried to clear it worked either. Every spell, every concoction I tried to whip up. Surprisingly, Emily had been ok with my using witchcraft on her sister. Anything to get Robyn better.

But I feared nothing would.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

_The room was strange, but comfortable no less. The floor was just a sea of the softest pillows and the ceiling and walls, if there were any, were draped in lengths of silk and velvet and chiffon, all in various shades of blue and green. There was no discernable source of light, but everything seemed to be bathed in a hazy glow._

_My body felt heavy and tired, but just being so near to her made me feel…alive. Made me want to dance with her, to kiss her until our lips bled. I could feel her eyelashes flutter against my cheek and her lips brush against my jaw; I sighed contentedly, my fingers brushing over the thin sleeve of her dress._

_ "What are you thinking about?" Robyn asked, her voice the lightest whisper._

_ "Of you, love," I muttered._

_ "Hmmm." I could practically hear the grin spread across her lips. "Good. I'm thinking of you too." In a flash, I was hovering over her, watching her with loving eyes._

_ "You'd better be. I'd be very angry if you were thinking of someone else while you were with me."_

_ "No," she said innocently. "There's no one else. There's only you."_

_ "And there is only you," I told her, leaning down to steal a kiss from her. "You have my heart, Robyn."_

_ "I have your heart," I repeated against my lips._

_ "Yes," I replied. My eyes closed as I kissed her, but it was quickly cut short when I felt something sharp pierce my flesh and steal my breath. I fell onto my back, with Robyn leaning over my now, her hand pushing through my chest. _

_She grinned maliciously and pulled, and suddenly she was holding my bloody, heart in her hands._

"_Why look," she said in a terrible, un-Robyn-like voice. "It seems that I have your heart."_

I awoke with a jolt and a phantom pain in my chest. I quickly looked around my bedroom and found myself alone and surrounded by piles of empty liquor bottles. A sensation flooded over me, and I didn't know whether it was from relief or from longing.

My thoughts had been plagued with nothing but Robyn for days, no matter how much I drank or how much I tried to distract myself. I dreamt of Robyn, I felt her in my arms whenever I drained someone of their blood, and I often found myself calling out her name if I spotted someone with similarly colored hair as I drove or walked around the city.

Rebekah had, more or less, abandoned me until I "stopped my pity party and took a bath" and for fear of her wrath, Stefan had too. I truly was alone now, and as I was slowly finding out, liquor wasn't going to fix my heartache.

I pushed myself upright and out of bed. There was a crunch beneath my foot and I looked down to find hundreds of balls of crumpled paper littering the floor among the bottles. I picked one up and smoothed it, scowling when I found a charcoal sketch of Robyn starting back up at me. I quickly tossed it to the floor and slunk to the bathroom to get ready and go to Gloria's.

The liquor wouldn't fix my heartache, but it would numb it.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

_ "There," the blonde woman said as I walked into the kitchen, now dressed in my favorite, robin's egg blue dress; my Sunday church dress. "Now you look presentable. Sit. Lunch will be ready soon."_

_ She had led me back to my parents' house, the house I had grown up in. I had been ushered up to my bedroom to change and the woman disappeared into the kitchen to "make lunch." Looking through my closet—which was filled with, not only the clothes I had left behind when I moved in with Emily, but also the collection of clothes I had collected since moving downtown thanks to shopping trips with Rebekah or Emily or Gloria. Even my uniforms from Gloria's were there—I found it peculiar that my parents weren't home. I figured that my father must've been at work, but aside from going out shopping or to a church social, my mother never left the house. And what's stranger, we were able to enter the house without a key; Mother wouldn't have left the house unlocked like that._

_ "Who are you?" I asked as I sat down at the kitchen table._

_ "You can call me 'Eloise,'" she said to me, looking over her shoulder._

_ "But that isn't your name?" I asked, picking up the fork from the table setting before me. It was mother's wedding silver; she loved using it for parties and holidays. But from use, it had dulled. Now the fork was shining like it was brand new._

_ "You're quite observant, Robyn," Eloise laughed lightly. "No, my name isn't Eloise."_

_ "Then what is it?"_

_ "I can't tell you. No one can know my real name; not yet."_

_ "Fine," I huffed and placed the fork back on the table. "You said we had a lot to discuss."_

"_We do," she nodded._

"_Why have you brought me here?" I asked._

"_Why have I brought you home?" she clarified._

"_This isn't my home," I replied. "This place isn't real. None of it."_

"_But of course it is," Eloise insisted._

"_Cub's Field is _not_ next to the schoolhouse."_

"_But it is. Your memories are all jumbled together, Robyn," Eloise began. "In your mind, the memory of playing hide and seek in the school yard is mingling with the memory of going to see a Cub's game with your friend, Niklaus. When you take the streetcar to work, you always think that the driver looks like Mr. Brady."_

"_What are you saying…"_

"_Welcome to the land of your memories, Robyn Costello," Eloise smiled serenely. "Welcome to the land of your dreams."_

* * *

><p><strong>Emily's POV<strong>

"What do you mean, her dreams?" I asked, looking down at my sister's still form.

"She's dreaming," Gloria explained. "I've been in her dreams before, back when she was having nightmares. Do you remember? She said you were worried about them."

"But they stopped," I nodded.

"Because I went into her dreams and stopped them. The nightmares were an omen, preparing her for her fate."

"And what is that?"

"Her death," Gloria concluded gravely.

"She isn't going to die," I insisted, feeling my heart race in my chest. "She's just sick; she'll be fine."

"She will," she insisted. "I figure that there's a spirit that has attached itself to her, depleting her life force to avenge its own death, or maybe even to restore itself to life."

"Why Robin?"

"Who knows?" Gloria sighed. "She might've been at the right place, at the right time. She might know someone who the spirit knew in life—a relative or a friend. Robin's strong, which the spirit can use to its advantage, but she's stubborn. The spirit must've figured out that it has to weaken her mind in order to weaken her body. It's already been there for…months, if not more. And she'll die, but if I can find the spirit, and I can get rid of it, she'll be fine.

"Will that work?" I asked.

"It should," Gloria nodded. "I already know what I'm looking for. A woman, with blonde hair; I talked to her when I first went into Robyn's dreams. I thought she was just a guiding spirit, but now I think it's the invasive one."

"So…this spirit," I began, struggling to process everything Gloria had told me. "It's like a parasite?"

"Essentially." Gloria looked down at the book in her hands and then back up at me. "How are you taking this?"

"How am I taking my sister's possible death?" I asked, voice thick with sarcasm. "Swimmingly. Oh, just…swimmingly." Gloria stood up and placed her hands on my shoulders.

"You need to get your mind off of this," she began.

"What? I can't!" I snapped at her. "How can I—"

"You need to," she repeated. "Your worrying isn't going to get Robyn better any faster. And because you've been worrying for the past few days, you've been neglecting yourself. Go take a bath, get some sleep and some food."

"I don't want to leave her," I muttered, surprised when my eyes started to water; I didn't think I had any more tears to cry."

"If anything happens, you'll be the first to know," Gloria insisted. "I promise."

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

_ This was a dream? I had been right? I didn't understand how I could be there though, and no matter how much I willed it, I couldn't wake up._

_ Eloise placed a platter of steak sandwiches onto the table and sat across from me. She smiled, but where it had looked serene before, it suddenly looked menacing._

_ "Why did you bring me here?" I asked, wary, as she put a sandwich on the plate before me._

_ "This is your dream," she replied casually. "I didn't bring you here, I'm just a guide." I didn't believe her. "I'm trying to guide you to see the truth."_

_ "The truth about what?" I asked._

_ "Aren't you going to eat?" Eloise asked._

_ "If I'm in dreamland," I began. "What's the point of eating?"_

_ "Keeping up appearances," she replied. I sighed and looked down at the food and agreed to her request to eat. _

_ "So what truth are you trying to make me see?" I asked, picking up the sandwich to take a bite._

_ "Your life," she replied, eyes gleaming with some undetectable emotion. "I'm trying to get you to open your eyes to what's right in front of me. Take your sister, for example. Emily. Do you think that she really wanted you to move in with her? Do you think that she wants to babysit you? You're a burden to her."_

_ "Emily doesn't think of me as a burden."_

_ "You're an unnecessary responsibility," Eloise disagreed. "She moved to the city to have some freedom. Some independence."_

_ "So did I," I agreed._

_ "But by moving in with Emily, you took away that freedom," Eloise shook her head. "She now has to watch over you, make sure you're safe and healthy and happy, else face the fallout from your mother. Think of how many times Emily has wondered what your mother would do to her if she found out about all the things you've been doing since you've moved in with her. She would blame Emily."_

_ "Mother knows that I'm an adult," I muttered, but I knew the truth. Eloise was right._

_ "And your vampire friends?" Eloise continued. "Do you think they really value your companionship? Or are they keeping you around as a novelty? Or perhaps a blood bag? They might be compelling you to forget."_

_ "I don't have any bite marks on me," I said, touching my neck consciously._

_ "Vampires always know where to bite where the victim can't see," Eloise replied. "Do you want to end up like poor Susannah one day? Or like the Grants?"_

_ "Stop it," I snapped, throwing my sandwich down onto my plate. "You might be my dream guide, but you're crossing the line."_

_ "Am I?" she raised an eyebrow in question._

_ "You are," I said and got up from the table. "I need to get out of here. I need to wake up." Eloise stood herself and folded her hands together calmly._

_ "I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Robyn, dear." She smiled grimly. "I need you here."_

_ "This is _my_ dream," I said, backing out of the kitchen. "And I want to wake up!" I turned around and gasped as I found Eloise standing right in front of me._

_ "I thought you knew, sweet Robyn," Eloise cooed. "That your dreams haven't truly been yours for a long while."_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "Don't you remember your old nightmares?"_

_ "That was you?" I asked, backing away from her, afraid of what she could do._

_ "Oh, yes," Eloise nodded. "But you misunderstand. I'm only trying to get you to see the truth. I'm letting your accept your fate. I'm trying to spare you the pain and tragedy that will inevitably befall you."_

_ "What fate?"_

_ "Death."_

_ "I'm not going to die," I insisted._

_ "You are," Eloise nodded._

_ "When? When…when I'm old and grey?"_

_ "That's the point Robyn. You'll never get that far in life. Death is creeping up on you. You don't have much time left. Maybe a day, maybe a month, maybe a year."_

_ "No. Get out of my way," I pushed past her and ran for the front door. "I want to wake up!" I threw the door open and was about to take a step out of the house, but then an excruciating pain erupted in my head. I fell to my knees and clutched at my skull; I could suddenly feel blood gushing out of my nose like water from a faucet. I cried out as the pain in my head intensified._

_ "Just say yes, Robyn," Eloise cooed as she knelt beside me and began stroking my hair in a motherly way. "Your pain will end if you just give in."_

_ "Please," I stammered. "Let me go. Leave me alone."_

_ "Shhh. It'll all be over soon, sweetheart. You need to give in. You _will_ give in to death, or death will hurt you more than you deserve." She smiled bitter-sweetly. "Just say yes."_

* * *

><p><strong>Gloria's POV<strong>

_Robyn's dreamland had change since last I was here. Instead of the club, the alley, or the graveyard, I'm walking down a long road. There's a hill further up the road, and it's surrounded by lush green grass. Alongside the road, there's a clear blue river, and although it looks so welcoming, it exudes an ominous feeling. It was then that I realized what it was, and vowed to stay as far away from it as possible, and keep Robyn as from it as possible too._

_ I followed the road, but it seemed that it never ended. I never got closer to the hill, no matter how long I walked. Every step took so much more effort, as if something—or someone—didn't want me to travel through the dreamland. As if they didn't want me to find Robyn. I was getting tired of this, getting tired of being told what I could and couldn't do._

_ I closed my eyes and focused on my surroundings, even though they weren't tangible. It felt as if my powers were being inhibited, but I kept concentrating._

_ "I thought we had an understanding, Gloria," an angry sounding voice said from behind me. I opened my eyes and turned around, startled. There was the blonde woman, the spirit that I was looking for._

_ "Where's Robyn?" I asked._

_ "Oh, she's safe," the woman replied with indifference. "But I want to know why you're here. "I thought you were going to let fate take its course."_

_ "I was…but Robyn's my friend. She's a daughter, a sister…she's someone's girlfriend. He loves her." She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at me. "If she had been in some sort of accident, got hit by lightning or something, and died without a chance of being rescued, there wouldn't be anything for me to do. But you took it upon yourself to kill her."_

_ "It turns out that I'm not as patient as I thought I was," she replied shortly. "Bending Robyn Costello's destiny so instead of having a nice, long life, she'd die young."_

_ "Why?"_

_ "I need to channel her energy. My reasons are my own."_

_ "The spirits are heralds and protectors of nature," I hissed. "They shouldn't be messing with the balance of it by killing an innocent girl!"_

_ "There are bigger things tipping the balance of nature, girl," the woman snapped, looking very demonic._

_ "You don't have any authority over me," I told her. "I'm from a long line of witches, and I get stronger every day. Chances are, the spirits are behind me, more than they are you. Blood is thicker than water, after all. You won't win. I'll save my friend." The woman just smirked._

_ "Gloria?" I blinked at the sound of Robyn's voice, and the woman had disappeared. Further behind from where she was standing, walking down the road, was, indeed Robyn. She had a smile on her face, but there was something obviously wrong with her. The front of her blue dress was stained red with blood, as were her hands; she was deathly pale and her eyes were surrounded by dark circles. I knew that if I was going to get her out of here safe and alive, I had to act quickly._

_ "Oh Robyn, thank God," I breathed out, thankful that I was now released from whatever had been keeping me immobile earlier as I ran to her side. I grabbed her shoulders, shocked at how cold she felt, even through the fabric of her dress, and said, "I found you and I need to get you home. Now."_

_ "Found me?" Robyn frowned._

_ "Yes," I nodded._

_ "You…found me." She spoke distantly and she had tears in her eyes. "I was at my parents' house…but they weren't home. They must've been in town. But no matter how long I waited, they never came home. So I decided to find them. I was walking on that road for a very long time, and nothing looked familiar and I thought I was lost, Gloria. I was so scared. I was in so much pain."_

_ "Pain?" I asked. "Are you ok?"_

_ "I'm ok," she insisted, pulling out of my grasp, suddenly glaring at me. "I'm looking for my friend Eloise. She said she was here to help me." Her sudden mood swings weren't good; they meant she was losing control over herself. _

_ "She isn't here to help you, Robyn," I said. "She's here to hurt you."_

_ "But…" She paused and her gaze drifted behind me. "What's that?" I looked over my shoulder and saw that the scenery behind me had changed. Rather than find a serene looking hill, there was a river. A rushing blue river that slashed across the landscape. And standing on the other side was the woman. The spirit. Eloise, as Robyn had called her._

_ No. This wasn't happening._

_ "Where are we?" Robyn questioned._

_ "It's the crossing line."_

_ "It looks so cool," Robyn muttered. "Is it me, or does it feel hot all of a sudden? We should go swimming!"_

_ "No!" I grabbed her as she tried running to the river. "No, you can't go into the river."_

_ "Why not?"_

_ "It's too dangerous, Robby," I began, holding her back as she tried to break from my grasp. "You can't go."_

_ "I won't get hurt," she promised. "Please, let me go. I'm burning, please, let me go!" She fell to the ground and started sobbing. "Let me go!"_

_ "I can't let you go, Robyn." I pleaded. "You'll understand one day."_

_ I closed my eyes and began chanting the healing spell I had found in my grimoire. It was old and obscure, on a page that was stuck to two others. I had been hesitant to use it at first, since Robyn was not _actually_ hurt, but I had to try anything to get her back._

I inhaled sharply as I was pulled out of the dreamland and back into the real world. It took me a moment to get back in touch with my surroundings.

"Gloria?" Robyn's weak voice caught my attention and I turned my gaze to her. She was pushing herself upright into a seated position, looking around with confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" I swallowed, happy that the spell had worked. Obviously, she didn't remember what had happened, so I had to lie. I had to protect her. "You were sick. Your sister asked me to watch over you while she got some rest; she's been taking care of you for days." I reached over and took a hold of her hand; she felt warm, and her aura was that of a healthy, living person.

"Why; I don't need a babysitter. And what's with all the candles?" she frowned. I looked around the room at all the candles I had lit to channel their energy for my spell. I quickly got up and put the candles out, and then opened the drapes to let the sunlight into Robyn's room. Good, warm, healing sunlight. "Gloria! That's bright!"

"I know, I'm sorry. But you've been cooped up in the darkness for days," I laughed. "A little sunlight will do you good."

"Hmm," Robyn pursed her lips and pushed at the blankets that were covering her. "I might've been sick, but you realize that it's the middle of summer. I don't appreciate being roasted alive." She moved to get out of bed, but I ran over to stop her.

"Hey, just because you're feeling better doesn't mean you can go and do whatever you want." I smiled. "Let me go get your sister."

"I thought she was resting," Robyn frowned.

"She'll want to see that you're better."

I backed away from her, making sure that she was staying put, and then went to get Emily.

"She's awake," I said as soon as I stepped into the kitchen.

"You did it?" she asked, incredulously. She pushed herself from the table, causing her chair to tip over, and practically ran to Robyn's room. I followed behind her and smiled as I saw Emily engulfing her sister in a big hug.

"I'm so glad that you're alright," she said. "I was so worried about you. I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

"Em," Robyn squeaked. "You're suffocating me."

"Sorry," Emily let her go and smiled sheepishly. "I'm just relieved."

"Well, stop," Robyn squeaked bashfully, then smiled. "Do I smell pot roast?"

"Mrs. Peterson has commandeered the kitchen," I told her. "She's made enough food to feed an army."

"Well, that's good because I could eat enough to feed an army." She shrugged and sniffed bashfully.

And then she sniffed again…

…then began coughing…

…and a small trail of blood flowed from her nose.

Emily gasped and jumped away from her.

"What is it?" Robyn asked innocently, oblivious to that and the blood that now coated her teeth.

"What's going on?" Emily asked me.

"I…I don't know," I whispered, truly stunned. I had brought her back; I had saved her from that spirit…unless Eloise was still there, in her mind, in her dreams. That had to be it.

"What's wrong?" Robyn frowned.

I hadn't saved her. I had made her weaker, vulnerable. I'd taken her away from the danger inside her mind, but that left her mind vulnerable, and Eloise was using that to tear her apart. She was channeling Robyn's life force, and there was no way to stop her, short of killing Robyn myself. Stopping the process before Eloise could achieve her goal.

And then I realized…I couldn't save her…but someone else could.

I jumped forward and placed my hands on either side of Robyn's head, to which she began to protest vehemently. I channeled all of my magic into her, and when her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell back onto the bed, I let out a sigh of relief.

"What did you do?" Emily asked, frantically. "What's going on? What's happening to her?"

"I just…shorted out her mind," I tried to explain, finding it difficult to.

"What does that mean?"

"The spirit I told you about? I thought I had gotten rid of her by bringing Robyn's consciousness back to our world, but it's still in Robyn's subconscious," I explained. "It's still killing her."

"Well, can't you get rid of it now?" Emily offered.

"I'm not strong enough," I shook my head. "I thought I was…but it's stronger."

"So what can we do?"

"I have a plan. The only thing I can do is keep Robyn's mind dormant for a while to keep it at bay, but I need to be here to do it. Which means that you'll need to go and find one of the few people who can help her."

"I'll do anything," Emily nodded.

"But I need to tell you in advance, that if we save her," I began. "Your sister will never be the same again."

"I'll do anything to save her, Gloria," Emily repeated, a single tear trailing down her cheek.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

I knocked back another glass of whiskey and slammed the glass onto the table. The night was young, but my table was already covered with half-empty bottles and glasses. There was no one to stop me from drowning my sorrows either. Not that I minded, no. I was quite content to whitewash my mind of my worries, of my heartache, of that stupid human girl!

But every time one of the cigarette girls would come over and ask if I was interested in a pack, or a matchbook or a little box of candies…my heart would stop in my chest and I would think of Robyn. The alcohol would blur my vision and my mind and I would see her face on the bodies of every cigarette girl who stopped by my table.

And then I would remember, and my mind would clear, and I would growl and banish them from my sight.

I hadn't seen Robyn at Gloria's for the past week, and while part of me felt relieved, part of me seethed in anger. She must've told Gloria what had happened, and the witch must've taken her side and let her off of her responsibilities so she could avoid me. So she could avoid the _monster_. Coward.

"Ahem." I looked up at the solemn looking redheaded woman who had approached my table and raised an eyebrow in contempt. She didn't look like any of the regulars at Gloria's. She was wearing frumpy, office-type clothing; a modest, plain grey dress, small white glove on her hands, which were nervously clutching her little black handbag. She wasn't…unattractive; perhaps she would make a satisfying meal later. "You're…Niklaus, right?" she finally asked.

"Who wants to know?" I asked, pouring myself another drink.

"May I sit down?" she motioned to the opposite side of the booth. I waved my hand indifferently as I raised my glass to my lips. The alcohol burned my throat and numbed my senses; it was wonderful.

"So," I began. "Who are you?"

"My name is Emily Costello," she said quietly, and I felt a growl build up in my chest. "I'm Robyn's sister."

"She isn't here," I snapped at her, downing the rest of my drink and then pouring another. "Hasn't been here all week."

"I know."

"Then why are you here?" I asked.

"Because I need your help," she muttered.

"_You_," I paused. "Need _my_ help?"

"Yes," she began, but stopped herself. "Well, Robyn needs your help."

"Oh really?" I scoffed. "And just _why _would I want to help her? The last time we spoke, we didn't exactly part on pleasant terms."

"I know—"

"Oh, you know?" I laughed. "You know. Of course you know. Her older sister, her best friend, her confidante. I'll bet she told you _everything_ about me."

"Well—"

"Oh, she did," I smirked and leaned against the back of the booth seat. "I didn't know that she had such a loose tongue. Telling secrets that weren't hers to tell."

"She told me she loves you!" Emily snapped at me.

"Oh, really?" I scoffed again. "I find that hard to believe."

"And she was going to come and tell you. She was going to come and apologize for all the horrible things she said to you last week," Emily continued angrily, but then she stopped and saddened. "But then…something happened and now she needs your help."

"Well, I'm sorry, but my help is not available and won't be available for a long while," I said, getting up from the booth. "Tell her to find someone who isn't a heartless monster." I started for the bar, but Emily's next words both stopped me in my tracks and sobered me immediately.

"She's dying." Emily choked back a sob. "Robyn will die without your help."

**Shout-Outs:**

**A shout out to BrittxAngelusx: We shall see…**

**A/N: Finally another update! Sorry for the extremely long delay. I really don't have an excuse except for, you know, life. I graduated from high school, I got a job, and in my spare time, I've been beta-ing for TinyDancer365 (whose stories are amazing, and if you don't already read them, you should do so right now.) I've also been working on a new story, which I just posted! It's my first non-TVD story and I'm excited about it!**

**So that's it! Reviews are always appreciated and will get you a sneak peek of the next chapter, which will be posted much, much sooner than the last, because it's already written. So REVIEW! Questions, comments, concerns; I'm open to anything.**

**Until next time!**


	16. Hope

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Klaus' POV**

The drive from Gloria's to Robyn's apartment building was a blur. I don't remember it, I don't remember following Emily in her identical Model T, and I don't remember whether I hit anyone who happened to be walking in the street either. No, my mind was occupied with thoughts of Robyn.

All my anger towards her had disappeared, and I became a statue, bottling up all of my emotions as much as I could, so they wouldn't consume me and distract me from the task at hand.

_She's dying,_ Emily's words echoed through my mind on repeat.

_What if we get there and it's too late?_ I thought while driving. _What if it's too late and I never get to see her beautiful smile again? What if I never get to hear words of love for me come from her lips? What if I am never able to tell her that I love her again as well?_

I vowed to myself that we would get there in time; even if I had to fight death himself just to see her eyes sparkle with life for one more second. One second wouldn't be enough, though.

I parked behind Emily and followed her as she skittered across the sidewalk and fumbled with her keys to get into the building. Even though I took the stairs two at a time, it felt like an eternity to reach the apartment door, and even longer as Emily fumbled to unlock the door. I was about to follow as she walked into the apartment, but was stopped cold by an invisible barrier. Blast it.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked, turning back to look at me.

"You have to invite me in," I explained. "Otherwise…I can't come in."

"Really?" she frowned. "That's so stupid."

"You're telling me," I muttered. "Could you please…"

"Oh, right. Niklaus…do you have a last name?" I glared at her for a moment before she continued. "Oh, sorry. You can come in."

"Thanks, sweetheart," I said with a nod as I stepped over the threshold. "Now where is she?"

"In her room, but—hey!" I tried to walk past her, but she grabbed my wrist and pulled me to a stop. I glared at Emily, angry that she was stopping me from getting to Robyn, but she glared right back at me. "Before you go in there, I need you to make me a promise."

"And what promise might that be?" I asked.

"Promise me that you'll fix her," she said. "Promise me that you'll save her. That she'll be alright. That…that she won't die." She choked on the last words and my gaze softened.

"I'll do whatever I can to save your sister," I told her. "Don't worry."

Emily nodded and released her hold on me, and I quickly walked down a hall lined with doors. One of them opened and a sad-looking Gloria walked out, softly shutting the door behind her.

"I heard you and Emily come in," she sighed dejectedly. "She's awake, but I don't think that she has much time left. Please…if you love her as much as she loves you…"

"I will," I nodded, and pushed her out of my way so I could open the door.

The room was dim and the air murky from the dozens of candles that occupied every flat surface, all of them snuffed out except for one that sat on the nightstand. I could see Robyn lying in bed, buried under layer upon layer of blankets, with her back to me.

"Robyn?" I softly called to her, shutting the door behind me. I cautiously walked around the bed and crouched right in front of her; she was shivering, her skin looked a deathly ashen, her eyes were closed and there were tears falling from them. "Robby?" I asked again, pushing her hair from where it had fallen across her face. Her eyes opened, looking very bloodshot, and more tears rolled down her cheeks.

"K-Klaus," she stammered. "Are you really here?"

"I'm really here," I nodded. "I'm here." Her bottom lip quivered and she began to cry some more.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry for all of the terrible things I said to you. I didn't mean them. Please…please believe me."

"Shh," I cooed. "Don't worry. I know that you didn't." I felt foolish for getting so upset with her, now that I was seeing her like this. Emily had tried to explain as much as she could to me before we left Gloria's, but I still didn't understand how this had happened, or why?

"Could you ever forgive me?" she asked.

"I already do," I told her. "I'm here, aren't I? If I was angry with you, I wouldn't be here." It took some effort, but Robyn shifted on the bed, away from me. I frowned, not understanding why she was moving away from me, but when she pushed the thick layer of blankets off of her so that a corner was open, the realization dawned on me.

I hastily removed my jacket, cufflinks and shoes, tossing them carelessly onto the floor, and climbed into the bed with her, pulling the blankets back around us as I noticed her shivering intensify. I pulled her into my arms, letting her head rest on my shoulder, and took one of her hands in mine. She squeezed it weakly.

"I missed you," she whispered sadly, closing her eyes.

"I missed you too," I replied. "There hasn't been a moment in the past week where you weren't on my mind."

"Really?" she asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

"I've been thinking about you, dreaming about you, drawing you—"

"You never told me that you can draw," she laughed weakly.

"You never asked," I teased, forcing a smile, just for her, but it quickly faded as her expression turned grim.

"Gloria…she said that I'm dying," she muttered. "Am I? Was she telling the truth?"

"I'm afraid so," I sighed. Robyn frowned, and suddenly looked pensive; she snuggled into my side and I pressed a kiss into her hair, trying to reassure her that everything would be alright.

"She said I've been…unconscious for a few days," Robyn finally continued. She pulled away from me so she could look me in the eye. "What day is it?"

"Sunday," I replied.

"What date?" she continued.

"It's the…" It took me a few moments to recall the exact date; my heavy drinking had blurred many days together. "The 11th. July 11th." Robyn fell back into my embrace and placed her head back on my shoulder, sighing sadly. "Why?"

"Tomorrow is my birthday," she confessed, her fingers lazily playing with the buttons of my waistcoat.

"Really?" I asked.

"Mmhmm," she nodded.

"Well, then we'll have to go out," I told her. "Celebrate."

"We can't go out if I'm dying," she said, voice thick with unshed tears. "I don't want to die on my birthday."

"You aren't going to die, my Robyn. My sweet little bird. Not while I'm here to stop it."

"But it hurts, Klaus," she began crying; I could feel her tears soaking through my shirt. "It hurts so much."

"What hurts?" I asked.

"My head. It feels like my head is on fire; like its being split in two." She clenched her eyes shut and began sobbing harder, her voice taking a desperate tone as she started pleading. "I want it to stop. Make it stop. Please."

Her heartbeat, which had been weak and sluggish since I had first entered the room was now fast, racing as if she were running, running away from something that she had no chance of escaping. And then the scent of blood reached my nose and I looked down in alarm, shocked to find that her nose gushing blood like a faucet.

I froze.

What was happening to her?

What could I do?

I did one of the only things I could do. I did something that came as instinct to me. I maneuvered myself into a seated position and pulled Robyn so she was sitting between my legs and had her back against my chest. I hastily rolled up my sleeve and bit into my wrist. Once the blood started welling up around the wound sufficiently, I pressed the wound against her lips.

"Come on, love," I pleaded with her as she struggled against me. "It'll help you. It'll make the pain go away. I promise." She thrashed he head back and forth and I had no choice but to put my hand against her forehead to keep her steady, and force her to drink the blood.

After one reluctant mouthful was swallowed, Robyn became calmer and more compliant and she continued to drink. She even choked every now and again due to her eagerness.

"That's right," I muttered as she detached her lips from my arm and her head fell back against me as she panted for breath. "It'll be alright. Do you feel better?"

"Much," she replied softly, and then turned to face me. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, sweetheart," I said softly. I cupped her face and caressed her cheek with my thumb, wiping her tears away. "I would do it again in a heartbeat. I…I don't think I could bear to lose you." I paused and then continued quietly, so quietly she couldn't hear it. "I love you." Robyn turned to face me completely; her eyes were brighter and she looked so much healthier, so much alive.

"What did you just say?" she asked.

"I said," I began louder this time. "I said that I love you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Truly, do you mean it?" I nodded, uncharacteristically bashful at having to reveal my true feelings. Robyn's big, beautiful eyes searched my face for any sigh on dishonesty and then she smiled brightly, which did look a bit humorous, considering that her lips and chin were stained with blood, both mine and hers. "I love you too."

I pushed her hair out of her face and smiled back at her.

"Do you trust me Robyn?" I muttered.

"More than anything," she nodded. I took her face in my hands and swiftly captured her lips with mine, smirking at the mingled taste of our blood. I heard her whimper and took it as a sign of pleasure, and continued to deepen the kiss. She was hesitant to responding, whimpering again as I pulled her closer to me, my hands moving to clutch her waist.

I began kissing down her jaw and her soft, sweet neck, every so often scraping my teeth against her skin, enjoying the gasps that escaped her mouth as she struggled for breath.

I paused in my ministrations. Struggling…she was struggling for breath. And now that I listened closely, I noticed that her heartbeat was erratic, one minute racing so fast that I could barely count the beats, and then next it was slow and so very quiet. I looked up at her face to see that she was flush, a thin sheen of sweat building up on her forehead. Her eyes were glassy and inattentive, and her mouth was opening and closing like that of a fish out of water.

"No," I stammered. "No. What's going on? You were just alright! The blood was working!" I grabbed her face, frowning as I felt her skin burning hotter and hotter with a fever under my touch. Her entire body shook as she gasped for breath, choking on the air she did manage to get. Her body fell to the side as if she was a ragdoll, and I carefully lowered her so that she was lying on the bed again. One of her hands shot to her chest, clutching at it as she cried out in pain.

"Robyn, please," I begged, feeling tears sting my eyes. "The blood should be working. It should be healing you. Tell me this is a joke. Huh? Say anything. Please."

"She's here," Robyn choked out.

"Who?" I frowned.

"She's…here," she gasped. "El…El…Eloise."

"Who's Eloise?" I frowned, but got no response. I shook her gently. "Robyn! Robyn!" I kissed her softly, as if I was some prince trying to remove a curse from his beloved. And I kissed her again. And again. And again.

Her lips stilled, her entire body going limp beneath me, and I could practically feel my heart breaking. I pulled myself back and away from her and I couldn't help but let the floodgates break and the tears fall from my eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Emily's POV<strong>

I anxiously tapped my fingers against the mug of tea that Gloria had made for me almost a half-hour ago. It was cold now, and I hadn't taken a single sip. Gloria had said that Niklaus could heal Robyn and she would be fine almost immediately. What was taking so long? I could faintly hear them talking earlier, but now it was silent. Had something happened?

"You need to stop stressing," Gloria said as she walked into the living room and took a seat beside me, another mug in her hands. She took a sip from the mug, wincing slightly at the temperature of the tea, and then frowned. "Vampire blood has incredible healing properties; Robyn will be fine." I couldn't help but notice the unsure look in her eyes.

"I just…I need to see her to believe it," I replied nervously. "I need to see her up and smiling and being her usual caring, clumsy self to know that it worked."

"I know," she put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I do too."

I heard the door of Robyn's bedroom open and close, and a single set of footsteps travelled down the hall. I looked up, hopeful, but that hope was dashed immediately when I saw Niklaus standing there, looking incredibly disheveled and broken. His eyes were red-rimmed and glassy with unshed tears, his waistcoat was unbuttoned and his bowtie untied, and not only was there blood staining the sleeves of his white dress shirt, but it was staining one of the shoulders as well.

I didn't have to ask. One look at him and I just knew.

I dropped my mug, not caring as it fell to the floor and shattered, as I felt my heart practically stop in my chest.

Without having to hear a single word from him, I got to my feet and raced down the hall. I threw the door open to Robyn's room and choked on a sob as I saw her, lying peacefully in her bed as if she was sleeping. But she wasn't sleeping; she would never wake up. I grabbed the door jamb to catch myself from falling.

She was gone…my little sister, dead…and I hadn't been there…I hadn't said goodbye. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't…she wasn't supposed to go, not before I did. Neither of those things was supposed to happen for a long time out, anyways.

My little sister. I remember the day she was born. I was only 4-years old, and I had wanted to hold the new baby. A baby sister who I could dress up and play dolls with and teach things to. Father told me on that first day, when he helped me hold Robyn, the big responsibility I had now that I was a sister. To be her best friend and her teacher and that I had to keep her safe and protect her whenever I could.

And now…she was dead.

"Robyn," I breathed and slowly approached the bed. Somewhere deep down in my heart, I had some hope that it was all a trick and that she would jump up and smile and tell me that she tricked me. But as my eyes roamed over her, the hope simply faded away. "Oh, Robyn," I wailed as I fell to my knees beside the bed, carefully taking one of her limp hands in mine and grasping it as tightly as I could. "Robyn, Robyn. My poor Robyn."

I pressed my forehead against her hand and cried.

A few minutes later, after my tears had caused my eyes to become swollen and my sobs rendered me breathless, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I reluctantly looked up and found the man who was supposed to save her, and my mind became a battleground between grief and anger.

"I'm sorry, Emily," Niklaus said mournfully.

The anger won.

"You're sorry," I repeated, my voice so quiet, even I could barely hear it. I released Robyn's hand and got to my feet, glaring at the vampire who stood before me. "You're sorry! You _should_ be sorry; you were supposed to save her, heal her. She wasn't supposed to die!"

"I gave her my blood," he explained. "It seemed to work…but then it didn't."

"Why?"What happened?

"I don't know."

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," he said, fury beginning to etch onto his features.

"You didn't, did you?" I sneered at him. "Get out! Get out of my apartment! Go! You don't deserve to stay here after what you've done!" I could feel the tears begin to choke me up again. "Just go…please."

Niklaus scowled at me, tears glistening in his eyes, and disappeared with the blink of an eye, leaving me confused and shocked—Robyn had said that vampires were fast, but I didn't think…

But at the thought of Robyn, grief struck me again, and I couldn't help but cry until I ran out of tears.

* * *

><p><strong>Gloria's POV<strong>

I was devastated. Obviously not as devastated as Emily was—I just got her to leave Robyn's room after 3 hours of crying over her sister's body, so she could get some sleep—but still enough that I was visibly shaken. I felt…responsible for being unable to save Robyn. Maybe if I had sent for Klaus earlier…maybe if I hadn't been so cavalier about the warning about Robyn's impending death before…

I sighed and continued to clean up Robyn's room. There wasn't much I could do about her body—it was a Sunday night so the coroner wouldn't be available until the morning—so I cast a temporary preservation spell and draped a sheet over her. The mess _I _had made with my candles and my herbs and my grimoires…well, she hadn't mentioned anything, but I didn't think that Emily would be very keen for them to stay.

"I should just get new ones," I muttered to myself as I packed the mostly-melted candles into the case I had brought with all of my supplies. For all the good I had used them for in the past, Robyn's death would haunt them forever, bringing a terrible reminder every time I used them.

And then the guilt began to eat away at me.

How could I ever do any good anymore with my magic? How could I help anyone if I could help one of my closest friends? What good was my magic, how strong could it be, if I couldn't even fight off a spirit of someone dead?

I sighed and sat on the edge of Robyn's bed, tears building up in my eyes.

Maybe I should just give up magic altogether. I could just use it for little tasks here and there, but there was no use for me to learn more or get stronger. I was already considered very talented and very powerful by some of the other witches in the area, despite my age…but maybe the pressure was getting to be too much. Maybe I needed to lay low for a while.

My thoughts were interrupted as I was thrown off my precarious perch on the edge of the bed. As I fell to the floor, the previously silent room was filled with a loud, struggling gasp. I pushed myself off the floor and my eyes widened as my shock grew.

Sitting upright in bed, pushing the pristine white sheet off her face, and struggling to catch her breath, was a very much _alive_ Robyn. She looked around frantically for a few moments and then her gaze darted towards me.

"Gloria?" she asked with a frown. "What happened?"

**A/N: Dun, dun, duh! Robyn died…and then…she came back to life. How is that possible? *wink* This chapter made me cry as I was writing it, and now again as I was editing it. I was crying for Robyn, I was crying for Klaus, I was crying for Emily, I was crying for Gloria…hell, I was even crying for poor Mrs. Peterson because she slaved away (however lovingly) in the Costello sisters' kitchen to keep everybody fed and happy...well, considering.**

**Man I need a life.**

**Anyways, wow. I've been waiting for this chapter since I started writing this story. I had all the little moments planned, except for Robyn's fate, which was dependent on that poll I had up for the longest time. Thanks to everyone who voted; the winning outcome is _kinda_ obvious, and if you voted for the winning outcome and you are now mad at me for killing Robyn…you suck. ;)**

**So that's it! Reviews are always appreciated and will get you a sneak peek of the next chapter. So REVIEW! Why did Robyn die, even if she drank Klaus' blood? How will Robyn cope with becoming a vampire? _Will_ she drink blood and complete the transition? What will Emily say about all of this? And, of course, what will happen between Robyn and Klaus now that she isn't dead anymore?! Questions, comments, concerns, theories; I'm open to anything.**

**Until next time!**


	17. The Transition

** Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Robyn's POV**

Gloria stared at me with wide, unbelieving eyes as I tried to catch my breath.

"What happened?" I asked again. "I was…and then…"

My head was…pounding, but not hurting, and I struggled to remember what had just happened to me. One second…I had been with Klaus…he told me that he love me and I had been so happy…and the next…there was so much pain…and then, here I was, in my room, in my bed, completely encased in my bed sheets, trapped, and I panicked.

"Robyn…" Gloria said breathlessly, taking a step backwards and away from me. "You're…you're…"

"I'm what?" I frowned and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Do you know what happened? Do you remember anything?" Gloria asked rapidly. She walked over to the bed and sat down beside me, intently examining my appearance.

"Um," I began, both confused and a bit uncomfortable at her scrutiny. It's all a little bit fuzzy. Why…am I supposed to remember something?" Gloria's gaze snapped up to meet mine and she froze, looking as if she were trying to find the right words to say it.

"You died Robyn."

"What?" I laughed nervously. There was no beating around the bush, but that was _crazy. _Impossible. "I didn't die. If I'm dead…how can I be here, talking to you right now?"

"Robyn…you were sick." Gloria asked. "You were in a lot of pain. Do you remember that?"

"Um…vaguely," I replied with a frown, but slowly it became clearer and clearer. "No, wait. It's getting better." My mind began buzzing with thoughts, with memories, with little things that I never noticed before about my bedroom. Damn…was that mirror always so smudgy? The walls could use a new coat of paint to…they were always pristine white and now…they're so…dingy. No, wait; focus. "My head…and I couldn't breathe…and there was blood…and—"

"And there was a woman," Gloria continued before I could.

"Eloise," I breathed out.

"She was in your head," Gloria nodded. "In your dreams. For some reason, she was trying to tear your soul apart; I'm guessing that she was to steal your life force."

"But she didn't."

"No…she didn't."

"Because…Klaus came," I recalled happily. "He came and he…gave me his blood. He healed me—"

"But he didn't," Gloria interjected before I could say any more. "He healed you, physically. Having a spirit inhabit a part of your mind, though, does much more damage than just some blood and some pain. I have a feeling that Eloise really did succeed in her task, and that killed you."

"But I'm not dead, Gloria," I tried to reason with her.

"That's because something happened before she could take your life force for herself."

"What?" I frowned.

"Think about it, Robyn," Gloria grabbed me by my shoulders and shook me. "Klaus gave you his blood."

"Which healed me."

"But you died." She raised her eyebrows expectantly and finally, the penny dropped and all of the things buzzing in my head came to a standstill.

Vampire blood. In my body. And I died.

"Oh," I exhaled in realization.

"Yes," Gloria nodded. "Oh."

"Oh. But…there has to be a mistake?" I tried reasoning it out in my mind, but it felt as though a great sadness had begun to wash over me. I blinked at the sensation of tears stinging my eyes and choked on a sob as I continued talking. "Maybe…maybe…"

"No. You were dead, Robyn," she shook her head sympathetically. "No breathing, no heartbeat. Nothing. For hours."

"No, I can't be. I'm alive."

"You're not alive." Gloria corrected. "You're in transition. You'll die in 24 hours unless you drink human blood…"

"…and become a vampire."

The door to my bedroom opened slowly and Emily walked in hesitantly. She looked like hell warmed over, with red, puffy eyes and a runny nose, both obviously from crying.

"I heard voices," she said. "Is everything ok?" And when she saw me, sitting up, talking to Gloria…alive…

…she promptly keeled over in a faint.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

Despite it being such a late hour—or early hour, seeing as the sky was becoming lighter and lighter as the minutes passed by—the city was teeming with activity. Everyone I passed was going somewhere. Some were probably on their way home from a long night of frivolities, some were looking to continue their fun by finding another club that was open even later, and some were just starting their day. The streetcars were slowly beginning to make their rounds, and though there were no shoppers out yet, all of the shopkeepers were out and about, opening their doors and organizing their wares. It was Monday morning, and they were all preparing for the new week ahead.

I, on the other hand, simply wandered. I had no set destination in mind, not even home, because the one place that I wanted to be…I couldn't be. Emily had kicked me out, blamed me for Robyn's death even though _she_ had been the one to come to _me_ for help, and as much as I wanted to fight her, to go back and beg my right to stay because of my love for Robyn, I respected her need to mourn alone.

Just as I was now mourning alone.

It was difficult to hold it all together, in fact, when the image of Robyn, dead in my arms, was burned into my eyelids. All I could do was try to forget, hence the bottle of brandy dangling from my fingers as I walked, courtesy of some poor pharmacist who would find a broken door and the bottle missing when he went to open his store; stealing from a pharmacy was not the lowest point in my day, but it _was_ low. I, however, could care less right about now. Every swig from the bottle made my heart feel a little lighter, even if it didn't numb the pain.

"God," I sighed to myself as I took another drink. "Maybe I should just rip my heart out; spare myself."

I was just about to turn the corner onto another street, so I could continue my endless journey around the city, I heard a faint voice call out behind me.

"Hey, you," I didn't turn around. I simply kept walking, basking in my misery. "Hey, buddy. Stop right there. What's that in your hand? Are you drinking?" Suddenly, my bottle was ripped from my hand and I turned around to find some young, eager looking police officer standing before me. He obviously was a rookie, ready and willing to prove himself, because I had passed at least a dozen more officers on patrol in the past few hours—one of them even spotted me as I walked out of the pharmacy I had broken into—and they hadn't said a word to me.

"Is there a problem, officer?" I mocked.

"Brandy?" the officer frowned and then turned his gaze back to meet mine. "Where'd you get this?" I stayed silent, internally amused at his affront. "You do know you're breaking the law, don't you?"

"I was aware," I smirked, voice slurring slightly.

"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to take you in to the station, buddy," he said, suddenly looking wary of the situation. "L-let's go."

"Hmm," I fully turned on my heel to face him. I was already taller than he was, but as he met my glare, he visibly shrank back even more. What a menacing police force the city had? "I don't think so. You see, I've had a horrible day," I began to compel him. "Horrible week. Haven't done much of anything except drink…which is why I'm feeling a little bit hungry right now. _Very_ hungry, actually. So you won't mind when I grab a _bite_, will you?"

"N-no, sir," he said robotically.

"And you're going to stay absolutely silent, won't you?"

"Y-y-yes sir."

"Good." I grabbed him and rushed to the nearest alley before tearing into his throat viciously, relishing in the fresh blood that flowed through his veins and into my mouth. It was exhilarating to feel the life leaving the young man's body, to have control over life and death once more, when I was so helpless to do anything just a few hours before. I was powerless against the curse, against fate, against love, and even, ironically, against death.

But this was power. _Blood_ was power. It was power, and I had been denied power so many times.

I let the man's body fall into a dead heap on the ground and enjoyed the euphoric high of power coursing through me.

"Nik?" And just like that, the high was gone and I was back to being a miserable bastard with a dormant werewolf side locked away by his witch mother's curse, a dead girlfriend and a thirst for alcohol to numb the feelings. My head snapped in the direction of the voice and I found my sister and Stefan standing a few yards away, watching me with blanched faces.

"Come to ruin my day, Bekah?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Too late. Someone's already beat you too it."

* * *

><p><strong>Rebekah's POV<strong>

Stefan and I sat silently side by side in the living room of Nik's and my apartment; he held my hand as a comfort as we both pensively tried to work out the situation we currently had on our hands.

It had been a chore—and that's being _extremely_ generous—to get Nik back home. My brother put up quite the fight as we dragged him across town, yelling things incoherently and cursing and attempting to rush away and kill whoever crossed our path. To put it simply, he was having a tantrum, and we compelled quite a few people before we decided just to snap his neck and carry him back, dead, the rest of the way.

It was difficult to see my brother so out of control, when he was usually very calm. Manipulative and calculating, yes, but calm nonetheless. I had tried to get some answers out of him when he finally came to as Stefan and I were getting him into bed. What had happened that he had taken this turn for the worse when he had just been a drinking, catatonic mess when I had left the night before to go out with Stefan? It was impossible though.

He had said _one word_ before his eyes filled with tears, and rather than let him look vulnerable—which he would probably dagger me for once he was in his right mind again—I snapped his neck again, mercifully.

One word.

Robyn.

Of course, that was no help. That was the reason he had been a mess to begin with.

"Maybe something happen?" Stefan offered, finally breaking the silence in the room. "Maybe Klaus went to Gloria's and saw her…or…"

"I know my brother better than you do," I stopped him. "He wouldn't turn into this…mess if he had simply _seen_ Robyn. In fact, he would rather put up a front of their little spat having no effect on him whatsoever than ever turn into…this."'

"But—"

"Besides, I just saw Robyn a few days ago, and she was just as much of a mess as he had been," I reasoned. "Maybe even more so, considering that she's human and doesn't have the capacity to kill something. No…something must've happened _between_ them, again, for this to happen."

"Maybe he killed her," Stefan suggested offhandedly and I immediately froze.

No. No, he couldn't have. Niklaus couldn't have; he wouldn't have. I refused to believe it…but for some reason, it made sense. He had probably done it by accident. They had run into each other, probably at Gloria's, and he must've seen her talking to one of the guests and had gotten possessive. And as they were arguing, he had accidentally snapped her neck or her spine.

A million different scenarios raced through my head, all of the possibilities accidental because Nik wouldn't outright kill Robyn on purpose. And that would be the reason for his loss of control; he was grieving and full of remorse.

But at the same time, it didn't make any sense. Nik rarely, if ever, lost control that way.

But then again, Robyn had caused a lot of changes in Niklaus, and this might've been one of them.

Oh, but—

"Uh, Rebekah?" Stefan shook me a little bit and my gaze snapped to meet his.

"Hmm?"

"You've been staring straight ahead, muttering to yourself for the past 10 minutes. Are you alright?"

10 minutes? Honestly, this was getting out of hand.

"That's it!" I abruptly stood up and grabbed my clutch from the coffee table. "I'm going to go and find the truth out instead of speculating." I turned and looked down at Stefan. "Would you mind staying here and keeping an eye on him?"

"No," Stefan shook his head and stood. "I'll stay. Keep him occupied, or…unconscious."

"Thank you." I quickly kissed him and rushed out of the apartment to get to the bottom of things.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

The apartment was silent for some time and I stared at Emily, who stared back at me from across the kitchen table with an unreadable gaze. She hadn't said a single word yet, even after Gloria had explained to her…well, explained _why_ I was alive after I had been dead for hours.

I didn't know how to take this reaction and I was beginning to worry.

"Say something, Emily," I begged her. "Please." She sighed heavily.

"I don't know what to say," she whispered. "My sister was dead, and now she's a vampire."

"I'm not a vampire," I corrected her.

"Not yet," she said passively.

"Emily, please don't," I pleaded.

"What do you want me to say, Robby?" she asked weakly, looking down at her hands. "I didn't know vampires even existed until this whole ordeal began. And now you have 24 hours, then you're going to become one."

"That's not true," I corrected her. "I have to drink human blood."

"Even better," she deadpanned.

"But I—" I began, only to have the someone knock at the door. I sighed and got out of my seat to answer it.

"Rebekah!" I greeted with a smile, not only excited to see her, but also excited for a escape from explaining myself to Emily.

"You look terrible." She said critically, walking past me and into the apartment. I closed the door, suddenly feeling very subconscious and turned back to face her. "But at least you—you're in transition!" she suddenly exclaimed, cutting into her previous thought instantly. She dropped her clutch and grabbed me—one hand on my shoulder, the other on my chin, tilting my head side to side to examine me.

"Why are you in transition? _How_ are you in transition? Stefan and I thought he killed you," Rebekah said frantically. "Not decided to bloody turn you."

"Uh, Rebekah?" I said, or rather, tried to say as she squished my face together.

"Look at that," she awed. "Not a mark on you; you really are in transition…"

"Rebekah," I tried again. "Could you please?"

"Oh, right," she said in realization and released me. She ran her hands over the front of her dress to compose herself and then sighed. "How did this happen?"

"Um," I sighed. "Well, I was dying—"

"What!" Rebekah exclaimed. "How?"

"I was dying," I ignored her questions. "And then Klaus—"

"He knew you were dying and he didn't tell me?!" Rebekah practically screeched

"Sorry to interrupt," Emily said, stepping out of the kitchen solemnly. "But he didn't know before I went to bring him here. I told him so he could heal her."

"Oh." Rebekah suddenly looked. "Sorry. Go ahead. Obviously you must've died anyways if you're in transition now."

"I did." I nodded.

"I don't understand why my brother is acting so…devastated at this; it's wonderful that Robyn's alive."

"I don't think her realizes what happened," Emily interjected, stepping out of the kitchen. "He doesn't know that his blood resurrected her, albeit as a vampire—"

"In transition," I corrected.

"He was upset when Robyn died," she continued, ignoring me. "And I kicked him out of the apartment in my grief when I found out. In the confusion, he must not have realized."

"Well, that can be easily remedied," Rebekah smiled, and turned back to face me. "We just need to get you some blood and then we can surprise him. Honestly, he's a bigger mess than you are and you've been dead."

"It's not that simple, Bekah," I began.

"Well, we _should_ get you cleaned up before we go out, yes," she considered, obviously going through the different options we had to get me looking presentable. "And that will take some time; look at you!"

"That's not what I mean!" I sighed. "I'm…I don't want to complete the transition."

"What!" Both Emily and Rebekah exclaimed.

"Why not? You do know that you'll die, don't you?" Rebekah asked.

"Yes, I do," I nodded, suddenly sheepish.

"Then why?" I stayed silent, choosing instead to look at my feet. "Robyn, why!"

"I'm going to die, like I was supposed to." I explained. "It's better that way."

"Better?" Emily practically wept. "How does that make things better? This is a second chance for you."

"There isn't supposed to be a second chance," I tried to reason. "When you die…you're supposed to stay dead."

"Robyn! Will you listen to yourself?" Rebekah pleaded. "You're not seeing what a wonderful thing this is. You'll live forever; you can experience anything and everything you've ever wanted to."

"And I'm going to have to drink blood," I muttered. "I'm going to have to kill people."

"Not necessarily," Rebekah sighed.

"Every vampire I've come across so far since I've come to Chicago has killed someone, Rebekah. Even you! I don't want to hurt anyone! I don't want that on my conscience!"

"Now you're just being selfish, Robyn Costello!" Rebekah accused. "You're being very selfish by underestimating what you can and can't do. How is this fair to any of the people you care about? Any of the people who care about you? How will Emily deal with it? How will your parents react? What about your friends? Gloria? _Me_? I'm sorry, but I simply refuse to go shopping without you; you make it so much fun.

"And what about my brother?" Rebekah finally said and I closed my eyes painfully. He had crossed my mind many times in the past few hours as I was coming to a decision. "Whether you're aware of it or not, he loves you, and I know that you love him just the same; he's put himself through hell this past week since you had your little spat, and now he's putting himself through a much worse hell thinking you're dead. He will never be able to forgive himself for failing to save you and I will not stand to see it. So you are going to go and find some poor sap and drink his blood, and _live_, even if I have to force it down your throat myself!" Her voice went from a calm, soft tone to a frantic, uncontrolled semi-scream. I suddenly felt like finding a small, dark corner, and curling up in it to cry.

I didn't know, however, that I had already started until I fell to my knees and began sobbing. Emily was at my side immediately, her arms enclosing me in a comforting embrace as she shushed me.

"Rebekah," Emily sighed. "I think that Robyn just needs some time to think it over; I'm sure she'll make the right decision in the end."

"It will be a grave disappointment if she doesn't," Rebekah said menacingly and then stepped around us to leave. "I'll try to convince Nik to go to Gloria's tonight; I won't tell him you're alive, though," she said to me. "I hope that you'll be there to do that yourself, Robyn." And with that, she was gone.

* * *

><p>I sat in the living room for hours, practically catatonic, thinking. What about? I wouldn't be able to tell you. I had the entire apartment to myself, seeing as Emily had to go to work. Without a sick sister to hover over and worry about, she had to go; she hadn't wanted to but…Emily was just that honest a person.<p>

I wasn't an honest person, though. I was a terrible person.

Everything Rebekah had said was right; how could I even think of leaving everyone I cared about behind because I was too cowardly to become a vampire.

But at the same time…it would be _me_ living for an eternity, if I did reconsider and choose to become a vampire. What if I didn't like it? What if it changed me for the worse? What could I do then? There would be no going back.

I was afraid. Very afraid and very unsure.

I sighed, sinking deeper into the couch cushions…

…and then there was a knock at the door.

"This apartment must have more visitors than the hospital," I muttered as I got up and went to answer it. I was surprised to find an unfamiliar, cheery blonde woman.

"Hi," I greeted hesitantly. "Can I help you?"

"I'm here for Emily," the woman smiled, taking the liberty to walk in without an invitation. "You must be her little sister, Robby. Aren't you adorable?" She grabbed my cheek and pinched it so painfully, I was sure there would be a mark if I looked in a mirror.

"She's, uh, at work," I told her, eying her suspiciously as she continued further into the apartment.

"Always a workaholic," she rolled her eyes and then practically collapsed onto the couch in the living room. "I can wait." She picked up one of Emily's _Woman's Home Companion_ magazines and began to thumb through it.

"Um." I was sure I looked like a fish out of water, since my mouth opened and closed so many times as I tried to find the right words to say. Finally, I managed, "who are you?"

"Oh," the woman looked up. "I'm Perry. Perry Adams. Emily's old roommate—still have a key, but I thought I'd be polite and not just barge in. You must've heard of me; I've heard all about you, Robby."

"Oh! Perry, of course," I nodded, instantly becoming less wary. "I thought you were in New York?"

"I was. But that doesn't mean I can't jump on a train and come back home every now and again," Perry explained, rolling her eyes, her attention back on the magazine. "Emily and I were supposed to go out; we've had it planned for weeks, so I hope she didn't forget." With all the commotion, I'm sure that Emily _did_ forget, which mean that she would be in for a surprise when she got home.

And God, did I hope she would be home soon.

There was just…something about being in the room with Perry that was making me anxious. Maybe it was because this was _Perry_, who was infamous for causing trouble. Maybe it was because I was _already_ nervous and anxious because of the internal battle I was fighting. And maybe it was because of—

"What's that smell?" I frowned, asking suddenly.

"What smell?" Perry raised an eyebrow and looked up from the magazine. "I don't smell anything."

"It smells…strange." I took a deep breath.

"I think that old bat, Mrs. P, is making a pie. I smelled something doughy when I got here," Perry dismissed. "That must be it."

But that wasn't it. The smell was thick in the air, saturating it more and more by the second; it was sharp and coppery and strange….and the more I tried to ignore it, the more it distracted me.

In the corner of my eye, I noticed some small movement, and when I focused on it, I realized that it was a droplet of blood, trickling over Perry's hand, from her forefinger and over the junction between it and her thumb. And the more I stared at that blood, the less everything in the room seemed to exist. Except for the blood…and that heartbeat…

"…Robby…Robby!" I snapped back into reality, and shook my head. "Are you ok? You look a little bit pale; are you sick?"

"No, I…" I paused and cleared my throat. "I'm fine. But you're _bleeding_."

"Huh?" Perry frowned and looked at her hand. "Oh, shoot. I got a paper cut when I was turning the pages of the magazine; I didn't even think it would bleed so much. Oh well." She put the magazine down and stood up. "Might as well go clean it up."

She started towards the bathroom, but as she got close to me, that smell became unbearable…and I realized that it was the smell of blood. _Perry's blood._

On reflex, I grabbed her hand and jumped to my feet, effectively stopping her from going any further. I frowned and stared at the blood, slowly bringing her hand up to my eye line. It was…strange. Blood was so…strange…and intriguing.

"What are you doing, Robby? Are you ok?"

"I'm…hungry," I kept my gaze on her hand. "Why am I so hungry?"

"Maybe you should make a sandwich," Perry suggested.

"I don't want a sandwich," I muttered, experimentally touching the paper cut which sluggishly oozed blood, which then stained my fingers. I lifted my blood-covered fingers to my face and breathed deeply, before gently licking the blood from them.

And somewhere deep inside, I knew that I didn't want to do it.

But I did.

But I didn't.

_But. I. DID!_ I wanted it. Blood. Blood was life. That one taste of blood had released a strong hunger that I didn't even realize I had. It was a hunger for salvation; a hunger for more blood. I wanted it and I wanted more. I wanted so much more. I wanted to _live. _

"Robby, what are you doing?" she asked, obviously horrified. I looked up at her and smiled.

The next thing I knew, I had pushed her against the wall and bitten her neck. Despite my teeth being as blunt as they normally were, they were enough to draw blood, which in turn made my teeth sharper and longer and deadlier. I could hear her heartbeat and taste everything about her, about her life, as my senses sharpened. Her blood tasted like lies and selfishness and frivolousness. It tasted like sins, and it tasted like punishment, as it traveled from her veins and into my mouth. It was warm, and it was cold and it was…

Life.

And then there was no more life and I released her from my hold, unlatching my mouth from her neck, and she dropped to the floor limply. I surveyed her then, as reality took ahold of me again. Her eyes were empty, and her skin was ashen, and there was no more blood coming from either the paper cut or the bite—which was a strange shape, seeing as there was a ring of bites from my teeth, as well as the more prominent and deeper cuts from fangs, _vampire fangs._

"Oh no," I muttered in a horrible realization, a hand covering my mouth as if it would hold back my shock.

Perry Adams was dead. And I had killed her.

I had killed Perry Adams. I had killed Perry Adams, drank her blood and was now a vampire.

And just when I thought that nothing else could go wrong, the apartment door opened.

Emily was home from work.

**A/N: Uh…hi there guys. I'm back, kinda. I have seriously neglected my stories, really, but I have some good reasons. Started college, new job, lots of homework, and the holidays. Now, though, things have calmed down and I honestly thank everyone for their continued support through reading and reviews and follows. It really keeps my stories on my mind, instead of my forgetting about it completely. One of my New Year's resolutions is to write more, and I'm starting NOW!**

** Let's start by thanking everyone who reviewed the last chapter. It was the most reviewed chapter so far, and I didn't send out as many sneak peeks as there were reviews, and since I actually sent reviews, I changed the scene. So thanks to ****_chibichibi98, BritAngelus, dancinwmypinkipod, FalconHQ, Dauntless-Jabberjay, Lady Syndra, ElithaAndWest, lilrobo02, Katie Mikaelson, aleksjoly, Guest, Shaybo27, xenocanaan, Mia Nymph, vampiregleek1, Kellyxo._**** You're all wonderful people. I don't deserve you guys.**

**And a special shout out to my girl, ****_TinyDancer365,_**** who I beta for: she's a wonderful writer and a loyal reader and a great friend. She writes so much and is so creative, and that keeps me motivated to my own writing, as well as keeping me sane. (I have trouble with that sometimes.) Please, please, go read her stories because she deserves all of your love. (Plus she updates much more than I do.)**

**Lastly, I want to take a moment to say that this story is coming to a close. We have an official countdown of 8 more chapters to go after this one before this story is complete. (So…chapter 25 will be the final chapter.) I do have ideas for a sequel—what that might entail…well, you'll have to wait until the final chapter to find out—but I don't know if you guys would want a sequel. I'm going to post a poll about it on my profile page, and I hope to announce the results by at the end of chapter 20. Just note that, if I do write a sequel, I won't begin posting it until I have the entire thing written, just so I can post on a timely basis and avoid disappointing you guys. So…yeah. Go vote!**

**And that's it. Hopefully the chapter is still palatable, even though I have to get back into the swing of things. Reviews are always appreciated and will get you a sneak peek of the next chapter. So REVIEW! Questions, comments, concerns; I'm open to anything. Until next time!**


	18. What Have I Done?

** Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Emily's POV**

I didn't scream. Which, honestly, is remarkable, considering that I had walked in from a long, exhausting day at work and found one of my best friends, dead, sprawled out on my living room floor. Oh, and did I also happen to mention that my younger sister, who had killed her, was standing over her body with blood staining her hands and face? To tell the truth, I didn't even realize that the body was, in actuality, Perry until sometime later.

I simply stopped dead in my tracks, no pun intended, and stared at the scene silently. Eventually, I gained some sense of reality and shut the apartment door behind me, possibly out of habit, and possibly because I had some notion that someone might pass by and see inside. I suppose that I had gained some sort of immunity to all of the impossibilities that had begun occurring in my life for the past few weeks.

"Robyn?" I began calmly.

"Yeah," she hesitated in answering.

"Do you see the dead body too?"

"Uh…yeah?"

"And is that really blood all over your face?"

"Yes." I took a few more steps into the apartment and finally recognized the face of the dead woman on the floor.

"That's Perry…I had forgotten that she was supposed to come over for a visit." I stated simply.

"I figured," Robyn muttered.

"Huh," I put my hands on my hips and surveyed the scene one more time. Momentarily, I believed the entire thing to be some twisted delusion. Maybe the final straw of sanity had snapped and I had lost it?

No. It could never be that easy. This was definitely real.

I was silent for a few moments. I had to take everything in and process it. All the little details were needed to fully understand and comprehend the situation, and deal with it in a calm and comforting manner.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED WHILE I WAS GONE!?"

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

I cringed painfully at the sheer volume of my sister's voice; it was so ear-splitting, I nearly fell over as I covered my ears. I guess she got _something_ from our mother, aside from the nagging.

"Emily, could you please?!" I begged her. "Do you want the neighbors to hear you?"

"Maybe I do," Emily huffed. "Then you could see that your actions have consequences!"

"I know that they do," I snapped back at her in reply.

"I thought you weren't going to drink any blood! I thought you didn't want to be a vampire."

"Emily," I pleaded. "I _didn't_ mean to kill her. I didn't _want_ to drink her blood."

"Then what in God's name possessed you to _do _this?" Emily put her hand over her mouth in shock as her gaze fell upon the body on the floor again.

"That's exactly it!" I immediately realized. "She got a paper cut and she was bleeding and that need for blood was so great. It was like something possessed me!"

"And then?"

"And then I bit her?" I replied hesitantly. "I guess I took too much."

"She died," Emily muttered.

"She died," I repeated with a nod. Emily took a breath and hesitantly crossed the room; she knelt beside Perry and carefully closed her unseeing eyes.

"Poor Perry," she muttered. "Always getting into trouble. Her attitude didn't help; she wasn't exactly the nicest person to be around." She looked up at me and shook her head shamefully. "What are we going to do about her? We can't just leave her here and we can't…call the police or anything."

"I don't know," I shrugged. "All the dead people I've ever come across have been in alleys."

"What?" Emily practically hissed at me. "What do you mean 'all the dead people'? All the people that your vampire friends have killed? Oh God! You're a vampire now too! A real one! Well, vampire or not, you will not just dump my friend in an alley and wait for someone to find her. She deserves more respect than that."

"It's the only thing we _can_, do, Em." I tried reasoning with her. "No one will ask questions that way."

"People _will_ ask questions!" Emily snapped, tears running down her cheeks. "She had friends in New York! A job! People must've known that she was coming back to Chicago to visit me! Someone will come here to find her and—"

"And that's why we can't do anything except leave her somewhere where she'll be found!" I stopped her. "You read the newspaper; people go missing all the time. People are found all the time."

"I never thought that, one day, my sister would talk so casually about _horrible_ things like this," she accused. "I never thought my sister would be so intimate with death. But then again, you're not really my sister anymore."

Her words felt like a knife to the heart and I fell to my knees, staring wordlessly at my sister, over Perry's body.

"You can't really mean that, Emily." I begged. "You…can't! I'm still your sister. I'm still Robyn. It's still me."

"You killed her. My sister wouldn't ever hurt anyone. Even if her life depended on it."

"I made a mistake. I'm sorry." Emily stared silently at me for a few moments before sighing.

"I'm not the person you should be sorry to."

* * *

><p>I always hated cemeteries, ever since my grandmother's funeral when I was 6. So it was a bit…uncharacteristic when I decided that a cemetery would be the best place to leave Perry's body.<p>

I had taken my sister's car and drove around the city to find a suitable location for it. For _her_. Someplace where someone would find her and take care of her. I agreed with Emily that an alley was too impersonal and seemed more like a dumping ground than...

But then I came to a stop in front of a small chapel with a cemetery tucked comfortably beside it. Before I knew it, I was out of the car, hauling Perry across the sidewalk and through the gates of the graveyard. I propped her up against one of the monument-styled headstones; there was a statue standing upon the marble block; a weary-looking man holding a rooster in his hands. Most likely a saint.

Mother would know, probably; she held religion very highly, and had tried to instill its importance into Emily and me at a young age. It had worked, for a while, but since times had changed since she had been a child, we weren't exactly as…well-versed as she was. Emily was always too social, and I always had my head in a book that was _not_ a bible or one of those old Beecher sermons about temperance she was always trying to get me to read.

Anyways, it was a moot point of whether or not the statue was supposed to be a saint; it was poorly crafted and looked much worn.

"Sorry it's not something more glamorous, Perry," I muttered, knowing from all of Emily's stories that she had a penchant for spectacles. Or at least, that's what I believed, considering all the trouble she caused.

I glanced around the cemetery uncomfortably. Had I not killed Perry, I probably would've ended up someplace like this, buried six-feet under, destined to be forgotten one day. Once my parents past away, and eventually Emily and Greg, who would come to visit me? I wondered how many people were buried here, their graves barren of visitors with flowers and kind prayers for them because they had forgotten, or possibly died themselves.

But I avoided that fate because…I couldn't die now.

_Or maybe I could; nobody had elaborated that to me. _

Who could I ask, though?

_Maybe Gloria would know? _

I could to ask her the next time I saw her.

_I wondered momentarily when that would be, seeing as I hadn't been into the library or the club in…how long had it been? _

A week. Maybe more?

_It felt like more. And then again, it felt like much less. _

How long would eternity pass if a week only felt like a few seconds?

_What would happen if the world ended? Would I die then, even if I was a vampire? _

If vampires couldn't really die, how would that work?

_The idea of a bunch of vampires floating among the stars was funny. What would they—we—eat? _

There wouldn't be any air, would there?

_Did vampires need to breathe? _

I was never a good swimmer, but that would make it much easier if I didn't need to breath.

_But that didn't necessarily mean I would become a good swimmer._

What if I sank like a rock?

_What if I drowned?_

How could I drown if I couldn't die?

Was_ there a way for vampires to die?_

"Stop!" I snapped, stopping my thoughts from racing any further. I took a deep breath to clear my restless mind and quickly choked on the heavy smell of decay in the air; it was a sickeningly, musty smell that hung in the air and burned my nose and throat. I quickly turned on my heel and made to leave the cemetery, but suddenly, I found myself in the car again, clutching the wheel in a white-knuckled grip. I didn't remember the trip to the car at all.

I quickly let go of the wheel and ran my hands through my hair in shock. This…sudden lapse of time and the restless thoughts were…alarming. Like a sudden descent into madness. Actually, there were many new things that I had begun to notice that alarmed me. I remembered things that I didn't remember just a few hours ago. I was much more aware of my surroundings. I could hear things more sharply, my sight was much more vivid, yet somehow duller than before, and my sense of smell was much stronger. Like with the cemetery, the scent of decay was incredibly enhanced, and I could smell things that were further away than normal—Perry had been right about Mrs. Peterson making pies. Sour cherry. I had smelled it on the way out of the building. It wasn't normal and it scared me.

I knew that they were all effects of my newly formed vampirism, but that didn't make it any less traumatizing. I…

Sour cherry pie.

Remembering the sweet smell made me forget about and I realized that I was hungry. It was a deeply set hunger, a dull ache that I became increasing aware of with every passing second, as if I hadn't eaten in days. I wondered vaguely if there were any nearby drugstores with a soda fountain that were open this late; I had cleaned the blood up and gotten dressed to leave the apartment in case someone spotted me traveling with Perry's body. I should be presentable enough to get an egg cream—

"Oh no," I muttered as a realization suddenly dawned on me. I didn't want an egg cream…or any ice cream or soda pop…I wasn't hungry for food.

I was hungry for blood.

"Oh no. No, no, no. I can't…I..." I breathed heavily, suddenly feeling closed in inside the confines of the car. I clawed at the door handle, seemingly unable to get enough of a grip to open the door. I wanted to escape the reality that I was now facing.

I was a vampire now. There was no going back; there was no changing my mind. I hadn't wanted this; I had wanted to die. But I didn't. I had cheated death and at what price? I had committed the ultimate sin; I had taken someone else's life. I had taken someone else's life so I could keep my own; sucked it out through their veins to sate my hunger. Blood, blood, blood. I only hungered for blood and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I needed to drink blood; there was no other option. I had killed her. I had _killed_ Perry; she didn't simply drop dead. I, Robyn Elizabeth Costello, had taken someone's life. I had drunk their blood and drained them dry.

It hit me like a wall. The guilt; the suffocating, infinitely strong wall of remorse and hate and sorrow. How could I do this? How could I do something as terrible as this? To poor Perry; to Emily; _to myself_? I had killed an innocent person. My sister's _friend_. One second she was expecting to have a good time and the next…she was dead. No warning. Nothing to give away the fact that she was in danger. She didn't even get the chance to run. Had someone even found her body yet? Would her family ever know what happened to her?

"What have I done?" I let out in a watery breath, through my tears, horrified at my actions. Emily was completely justified in not wanting to speak with me; I wouldn't want to speak to me either. I would be afraid—I _was_ afraid—and rightly so. What if I couldn't control myself? What if I attacked Emily? Or Mrs. Peterson? Or the ladies at the library? I didn't want to hurt another person again; I didn't want to kill anyone else for as long as I lived, whether that was until tomorrow or until the end of the end. If I had to drink blood to stay alive, so be it. But I needed to learn how to control this…_plague_. I couldn't face my family or my friends until I did; I couldn't hurt them.

But who could help me? Who could help me get a hold of myself without being in danger?

I needed…

…to go home.

I needed…

…to pack up and leave until I wasn't a danger anymore. Emily was mad at me; she hated me. She wouldn't miss me. Mother and Father wouldn't even know something was wrong since they were so far away. I could resign at the library…but then again, so few people came it, it might not be too much of a problem.

I needed…

…to finish some unfinished business.

I needed…I needed to go to Gloria's.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

The band seemed to be mocking me tonight. Ever since we stepped into Gloria's, they had been playing upbeat tunes, courtesy of their new clarinet player. He was some young, eager up-and-comer who Gloria herself had commissioned so she could spend less time on the stage and focus more on the running of the club.

In all honesty, it was giving me a headache. I hadn't even wanted to be here, but as soon as I recovered from the long line of consecutive neck breakings, Rebekah had thrown a clean tuxedo at me and told me—_told me_—that we were going out. I had tried to protest, tried to threaten her, but Stefan had simply clapped a hand on my shoulder and told me that it would do no good, and then followed after my sister like the love-sick puppy that he was.

Thinking back on it now, as I eyed the two of them enjoying themselves on the dance floor, I wondered when my sister had tamed the ripper. Yes, he was just as vicious and blood-thirsty as ever, but it seemed that he would only lose control whenever Rebekah decided that it was time to go on a bloody feeding-binge, which did happen quite often, actually. They were in love. Good for them.

Sometimes love worked.

Most of the time…it was destined to fail.

I closed my eyes painfully and drained my glass. I was about to get up and retreat to the bar to get another—or maybe just ask for a full bottle—but when I opened my eyes, I found that someone was casting a shadow over the table.

"Good evening, sir."

"No, actually," I grumbled, placing my glass down on the table. Being pestered by a cigarette girl was the last thing I needed tonight. "No it…" My voice died out as I looked up, and I froze.

"Hello Niklaus," she greeted, this time with a small, sheepish smile playing on her lips. The costume was new; I don't know how_—why—_I noticed it, but I did. Dark blue brocade with violet and gold embroidery made up the tight-fitting bustier bodice, as well as the flouncy skirt. The skirt was short enough to reveal enticing, nylon clad legs. She didn't carry the occupational tray filled with cigarettes and other goodies for sale, but there was a small, decorative feather fan tied to one of her wrists with a gold ribbon. None of the other girls roaming about the club were dressed this way, and none of them had abandoned their trays, so it only solidified my belief that she wasn't really here.

This _couldn't _be real; she couldn't_ possibly _be standing before me. Alive.

"Robyn," I breathed out.

**A/N: This chapter! THIS CHAPTER! **

**You guys wanna know a secret? 24 hours ago, this chapter finished, ready to be posted, and it was ****_entirely different_****, except for ****_one part. _****I don't know how it happened; I don't know why it happened. I had come home from work, ready to post the chapter and start working on 19; I put my jazz playlist on to get into the mood and my brain said "I'm going to make you stay up until 5AM rewriting 18 all over again because you're ****_my_**** bitch."**

**If I could take my brain and put it in a box and just shake it around as a punishment, I would. Unfortunately, I need it and I can't. I do have to say, though, that I'm happier with this one than I was with the other one. Not 100%, but probably because I'm running on caffeine right now. **

**Anyways, I hope that you guys enjoy the fruits of my mental anguish (I'm joking, but not really), even though it's a bit lacking. There are only 7 chapters to go! And they are going to be a doozy! Lots to get in before THE END. **

**Or will it be the end? Remember to go and vote for a possible sequel!**

**And that's it. Reviews are always appreciated and will get you a sneak peek of the next chapter. So REVIEW! Questions, comments, concerns; I'm open to anything. Even if you want to stop and say hello. Have a glass of iced tea? Shoot the breeze? Great.**

**That last bit was really a testament of my brain getting away from me.**

**See you next time!**


	19. Bittersweet Reunion

** Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I do own my OC, Robyn, and any other original characters that will eventually make their way into this story.**

**Klaus' POV**

"Klaus!" I stormed out of Gloria's, ignoring Robyn's voice as I went. She followed me relentlessly, not shrinking back for even a moment when the door to the club hit the brick wall with an earsplitting BANG as I burst through it to get outside. "Please, stop. Wait!"

I wouldn't stop. I had to get away from her, from this…_ghost_ that haunted me. I was afraid and angry; was this a trick my horrible mind was trying to play on me or was there someone, some damned witch who coveted my power, who was taking on her form in order to manipulate me. Or was this a real ghost, a phantom of Robyn's soul that was clinging to the real world? I had heard, vaguely, of those who had come so close to death that it left a scar, and the haunting ability to see spirits who had been left behind. But how true could those whispers be?

I was nearly two blocks away from Gloria's, the clicks of her heels against the street getting closer, matching my pace relentlessly, when a thought occurred to me. Why was _I_ the one running away?

Without second thought, I instantly turned on my heel, catching my pursuer by surprise as I grabbed her by the throat and rushed into a nearby alley. Obviously, seeing as I was able to physically touch the Robyn imposter, she wasn't a ghost or figment of my imagination, which made me angry. I pinned her to the wall of one of the buildings and lifted her off her feet, enjoying the hiss she made as the rough brick scratched her skin.

"Who are you?" I asked, barely containing my rage. "_What_ are you? Witch? Some kind of shape shifter?"

"Klaus," she choked. "Please."

"Do you think mind games will work on me?" I snarled, tightening my grip on her throat as she began to kick her feet at the air for some purchase to free herself. "How dare you take her image as your own? Did you really think you would weaken me by looking like her? Who are you? Who sent you?"

"It's me," she gasped, grasping my wrist with both hands to alleviate the pressure. "It's Robyn."

"LIAR! Robyn is dead! I couldn't save her and she died in my arms. I won't be fooled by some cheap trick." With a flick of my wrist, she was airborne, but only for a short time, as she soon hit the opposite building with a sickening crack of bone, and fell to the ground in a lifeless heap. "Good riddance," I sneered, ready to walk away, but I never got the chance to.

I had all but left the alley when I heard the weak voice behind me.

"Niklaus. Wait. Please." I turned my head, ready to finish off the imposter…but stopped dead as I watched as the imposter pushed herself off the pavement and got to her feet. Limbs which were obviously broken snapped back in place and angry scrapes and gashes along her skin knitted back together; she spit a mouth full of blood onto the ground and then looked up at me with sad and confused eyes.

It was an expression I had seen many times, and although I had believed that the person before me was a fake, I couldn't be mistaken now.

"Robyn," I muttered as a cold feeling of disbelief and shame washed over me. She was alive; she was standing before me, well and truly alive. "How?"

"You're right, I did die," she began, taking a hesitant step towards me. "But you did save me."

"What?" I frowned.

"Your blood," she stated simply.

"You mean you're…" My voice gave out with the realization.

"Like you?" Robyn gave me a weak smile, her teeth stained with her blood. "Surprise."

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

_Strange_ was the first thought that came to my mind, as I found myself, once again, forced against the brick wall of the building behind me. Although, where I had just been tossed around like a ragdoll out of fury, I now found myself being assaulted in a much more…pleasant way. My racing thoughts intensified; the fight for control of them now lost, as Klaus' lips crashed into mine mercilessly. My lips were losing the fight against his, but, oh, what a fight? I let myself get swept away in his kiss, his hands, the emotion and the hunger.

The emotion. The hunger. And the emotion. And the hunger. And his kiss. The love, the confusion, the need, the pain, and the hunger and HIM! It was like a slow spiral into madness—

_Maybe it _is_ madness. _

-and I didn't want it to stop.

I wondered momentarily if this was what everyone went through when they became vampires, until they could control it. Or perhaps it was just me? So much conflict, so much emotion.

_Maybe it _is_ madness._

My arms snaked over his shoulders and around his neck, fingers tangling in the hair that sat just above the collar of his shirt and jacket. I just needed more of him. I needed to be closer to him. The hunger for his love; the hunger in my heart, craving for his love. I loved him and I was so hungry.

_Maybe it _is_ madness._

Klaus pulled away from my, and I whined in protest; a bit of my clarity slowly returned as he kissed along my jaw and down my neck, inhaling deeply, and nipping at my flesh with blunt teeth. It was not madness, but a lack of control; an inability to control my emotions. And it was terrible, and it was wonderful.

"Robyn, sweetheart," he muttered reverently, though his voice was sorrowful. "Please, tell me I'm not dreaming. Tell me you won't be ripped away from me, and I wake up alone." His hands tightened on my waist, and, once again in full control of my thoughts, I pulled him away from my neck to look him in the eye.

"It's me," I muttered. "I'm here. I'm really here."

"You're alive."

"I'm alive."

"You're a vampire." There was a flash of sadness in his eyes. "I never wanted this for you."

"Well…I'm here, so you'll have to get used to it," I teased. Klaus was silent for a moment before a mischievous expression overtook the sadness.

"I guess I don't need to be as gentle with you as before; it'll take a lot more to break you now."

"Is that what you were doing a few minutes ago?" I raised a teasing eyebrow. "Seeing what it would take to break me?" He blanched immediately.

"Robyn, I didn't…" He paused. "I didn't realize—" I quickly covered his mouth with my hand.

"Oh hush," I whispered. "It was a joke; I understand. You couldn't possibly have known I was alive…but I had some hope." Klaus took my hand away from his mouth and pressed a kiss to my wrist.

"Am I the only one who knows?" he asked.

"No," I frowned.

"Who else?"

"Well, Gloria, Emily and Rebekah—"

"Rebekah knew you were alive, and she didn't tell me?" Klaus snarled in a murderous fashion, a bloodthirsty look in his eyes.

"She wanted to; she wanted _me_ to tell you. But…well, to be honest…" I hesitated, unsure of how he would react to what I was about to say. "I wasn't planning on…completing the transition."

"What?" he hissed. "Why?"

"I thought you didn't want this for me?" I asked.

"Well, no," he shook his head. "But I didn't want you to lose you either. Why didn't _you_ want this?"

"Well, I didn't…I didn't want to hurt anybody. Ever. I didn't want to _kill_ anybody." I stumbled over my words, tears building as I recalled Perry's lifeless body propped against the marble headstone in that cemetery. "And in the end, I did anyways. I killed someone. Oh God, I killed her." I choked on a sob, and Klaus immediately pulled me into his arms, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Shhh." He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Don't cry; it'll be alright."

"I killed her," I wept. "She's dead. I don't want to hurt anyone else. I can't."

"Shhh, Robby. Relax. You'll learn to control yourself in time. I'll help you; I promise."

"But I can't control it," I wept. "I've been fighting, so hard, to control it. The emotions and the hunger and the madness. It's all too much."

"Hush, love." Klaus cooed. "Do you hear yourself? That's all normal; a vampire's emotions are heightened. Everything feels so much more intense." I sniffed and looked up at him.

"Really?" I asked. "This is normal?"

"Of course," he chuckled. "And actually, you're doing so much better than I've seen new vampires do. Normally, you'd be going on a binging on blood right now, killing someone every time you felt hungry. And if you a ripper, well, there would be no stopping you."

He smirked. "But what else could I expect from you, my little bird? You're an impossible, extraordinary creature." I smiled immediately at his words, all my troubles momentarily forgotten. Klaus smiled gently and then took my hand. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I have something for you," he smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>Klaus' POV<strong>

"For such a nice place, you should really clean this place up a bit before you bring people here," Robyn teased as we stepped into the apartment.

"You think you're funny, don't you?" I asked, closing the door behind us.

"If I wasn't a librarian," she began. "I would probably be a comedienne." I smirked and shook my head, before grabbing her hand and leading her further into mine and Rebekah's apartment, which, admittedly, _was_ in desperate need of a cleaning, thanks to me. But I had been so out of it over the past few weeks, since Robyn and I had that little falling out, and then when I believed that she was dead…and it truly would've been a miracle if Rebekah had cleaned up.

"Wait here," I told her. "Make yourself comfortable; I'll be right back." Robyn nodded and looked around the dark room with inquisitive eyes.

As I began to walk away, Robyn called after me.

"Are these blood stains? Why are there blood stains on the floor?" she asked.

"Got bored," I answered casually. "Got hungry."

"What? Klaus!" I realized my error.

"Only kidding, love," I lied. "Stay there."

"Fine," she whined.

I continued down the hall and entered the catastrophic realm also known as my bedroom, with bottles and papers and clothes littering the floor. Those things didn't matter, though; I was looking for one thing and one thing only. I pulled the drawer of my nightstand open, staring momentarily at the seemingly empty space, before reaching in and removing the false bottom. Inside were a handful of possessions that would make me careless if I didn't hide them. My hand ghosted over them before closing around a small velvet bag; I then quickly secured the false bottom, and then closed the drawer.

"Best not linger over secrets," I muttered, and left the room.

When I returned to the living room, I found Robyn standing by the window, curtains pulled open so she could see the view. She was still and silent, leaning against the glass with her forehead. I rushed across the room and took my place behind her, arms wrapped around her waist.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked with a smirk.

"We're so high up. Everyone looks so small," she replied distantly, her smile evident in her voice. "You know, before I met you and Rebekah, I'd never ridden in an elevator before," she said, looking over her shoulder at me.

"And, what do you think?"

"I think it would be much easier to carry groceries up with one." I chuckled; it was a very _Robyn_ answer. "But it was very confined…and a bit scary."

"How so?"

"Well, what if you make it go so fast that the car hits the roof and everyone falls to their deaths?"

"I try not to think about the possibility of plummeting 10 stories in a metal cage. Very morbid." She sighed, and I continued. "You'll find that things like that become trivial in a broader spectrum; aside from a stake in the heart…or getting your head ripped from your body, or being exposed to sunlight, there isn't much that can outright kill a vampire."

"Sunlight?" Robyn turned in my arms and looked up at me with a frown. "But…you and Rebekah and Stefan…"

"Ah see, that leads to my surprise," I smirked. "Close your eyes and hold out your hand." Robyn's brow furrowed in confusion. "Do you trust me?"

She sighed and did as I told her. I pulled the small velvet bag from my pocket and upturned it into her hand; immediately, a glimmering trinket of silver and blue emerged, the weight of it causing Robyn to open her eyes, which immediately went wide.

"What…" her words faded away.

"You see," I began. "Vampires naturally can't survive in the sunlight; it burns us. Some, however, can, with the help of magic." Robyn carefully took the delicate-looking chain between her fingers and removed the hand that supported the necklace; the chain had been replaced over the years, and held no interest, but the charm was a marvel unto itself. It was elegant, yet subtle; a harp, made of meticulously worked silver, with three "strings," each of which held a bead of lapis lazuli. "The stones are special; they're able to hold a spell that protects us from the sun, which is rare itself, seeing as not many witches are willing to grant vampires the ability to walk around during the day.

"This necklace is one of those special few. It originally belonged to a queen; how she acquired it, I wouldn't know, but the spell was already on it when it came in her possession. She gifted it to me after I…disposed of her husband's mistress as a thank you."

"Which one?"

"All of them," I replied nonchalantly.

"No," Robyn laughed. "Which queen?"

"Well, you see, that is a secret I will take to my grave," I smirked.

"Well, regardless," Robyn shrugged. "The necklace is beautiful."

"It's yours," I told her softly.

* * *

><p><strong>Robyn's POV<strong>

My eyes immediately snapped up to meet his.

"W-what?" I stammered. "No. I can't."

"You need something to protect you from the sun if you want to go back to a normal life," Klaus said.

"I can't." I shook my head. "I can't take this necklace. I can't have a normal life."

"Why?"

"It's too dangerous." Images of Perry's body, of her blood staining my hands, flashed through my mind. "What if I hurt someone? Kill someone again?"

"I told you, it takes practice to control yourself," Klaus reasoned.

"Besides, I can't accept _this _necklace," I refused. "It…_you_ don't even know where it came from. It probably has _so_ much history to it. It belongs in a museum…not…not with me. I'm so scatterbrained and clumsy; I'd probably break it in a day."

"Robyn," he began firmly. "It's mine to give and I choose to give it to you." In a blink of an eye, the necklace was out of my grasp and clasped around my neck. Klaus, looking very pleased with himself, lifted his hand up and brushed his fingers lightly over the charm. "Perfect. It looks so much better on you; perhaps it was destined for you."

"Klaus, please—"

"Think of it as a birthday gift," he cut in immediately, cupping my face in his hands.

"But you already saved me; that's gift enough," I tried.

"The necklace gives you your entire life back, not just a part of it." He smirked then. "Besides, didn't your parents ever tell you that it's rude not to accept a gift?" he teased.

"I…" I glanced down ashamedly. "Yes. They did."

"Then this argument is over. The necklace is now yours and it always will be; end of story." I looked back at him and nodded.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"Your safety and happiness mean the world to me, Robyn," he replied, smiling softly.

"No," I sighed. "Not just for the necklace. For everything. I don't know where I would be right now, if I hadn't met you. Probably dead."

"Don't say that." He hushed. "How do you know it wasn't _my _fault that this happened to you?"

"Why would it be?" I asked.

"I have many enemies, Robyn," he replied solemnly. "I've killed so many people. One of them might have tried taking revenge by targeting you."

"But they didn't get what they wanted," I told him, nuzzling into one of the hands still cupping my cheek. "I'm here. With you. Alive—sort of—and there's nowhere else I'd rather be." He looked up at me and nodded solemnly.

"You know I don't blame you for this," I began with a frown. "You know that right? You…know that I love you."

"I know…" He paused in thought. "I know you do, and you know I love you as well. I just don't want to lose you again. Permanently, this time. Especially if I am the blame."

And then I saw it, in his eyes; such…vulnerability.

Klaus amazed me. For such a powerful person, who had lived so long and seen so much, he was still so…receptive to the things going on around him. He still had feelings, deep down; the layers of cold indifference could be pulled further and further apart until there was just a being of pure emotion. He could be happy, he could be sad, he could be gentle, he could be angry. Angry was what he showed more often than not…but was that possibly to protect himself?

"Well…you don't have to worry," I began slowly. "I'm here to stay."

"You truly mean that?" Klaus asked hesitantly. I bit my lip and took his hands in mine.

"Of course," I said. ""You can't get rid of me now, even if you wanted to."

**A/N: So…6 months. 6 months since I last updated this story. But it's time I get back to it, back into the swing of things, so hopefully this chapter doesn't seem like it came from left field, since I'm a little rusty. 6 months. Damn. I feel terrible about it.**

**First, a short recap of my life. I started my first year of college as a fashion major in late August. Full load of classes, plus a new job that's supposed to be part time but has gotten increasingly more involved over time—not that I don't love it, but I've been working close to 40 hours every week since the spring semester ended and I need some me time desperately. I've been designing and sewing and drawing and writing and making project after project. Put 5, count em, 5 original designs into my school's annual fashion show in April—the most a first year student can put in at my school—and then was asked to be featured as a student designer in an local, but industry-level show in the Fall. Oh and did I mention that I'm going to London in August for 2 weeks with a friend/classmate to study London Street Fashion? Yeah.**

**Ummmmmm…I think that's it. Looking at it written that way, I vaguely feel like throwing up. But there's no excuse for not writing for as long as I did. Like, I haven't even sat down to write **_**any**_** writing for my stories in such a long time. So I'm just going to say I'm very sorry, hang my head in shame, and present this chapter, and solidly confirm that the next chapter is going to be posted on Tuesday. It's all written just needs to be posted. And I'm not going to make the promise to write all the time, because look where we are now! I don't even think I sent out previews since I last posted something, did I?**

**Either way, I hope you enjoyed this severely overdue chapter of **_**Smoke in the Air,**_** and although the next chapter will definitely be posted on Tuesday, reviews would be appreciated. Even if you just want to yell at me. I will send out a sneak peek to reviewers as a thank you—or possibly 2 since it's been so long.**

**Only 6 chapters until THE END…**

**And that's it. See you guys on Tuesday when stuff will be happening...O.o**

**PS. If you are also reading **_**I Wish It Was You,**_** there will be a new chapter on Tuesday as well. That one has been more neglected than this one!**

**PPS. If you're tired of my chronic abandonment, go check out any/all of the wonderful stories written by TinyDancer365. I beta for her and she is amazing and awesome, and always posts on a timely basis!**


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